The Catalyst

Several years ago I found myself pressured by some colleagues to join the executive team of my local software quality association. I had often considered joining as it seemed an excellent venue for networking and getting more involved in the software testing/QA community, but I always had a reason for not joining. I thought, “What do I really have to offer?”, “I am too busy this year”, and simply, “I’m scared!”.

Over the course of a few weeks, suggestions quickly became, “We don’t need to fill the newsletter editor position, because Selena is going to do it.”  My colleagues were not surprised when I finally said I would take the position; they knew me well. The motivation of my colleagues, and learning that other people felt the same way I did, helped me overcome the reservations I had in joining the executive team.

The following year I accepted a nomination to become the president. My reasoning? I was terrified to speak in public. I figured that if I was ever going to present at conferences and provide training courses, I needed to face that fear. I conquered the worst of that fear during the first season by speaking at membership meetings making announcements and introducing monthly speakers. After two years in that role I felt much more confident and stepped down to pursue other opportunities in the testing community.

Association for Software Testing

Following a nomination for an AST Board Member position a couple months ago, I found out at CAST that I was elected to the Board by the membership. I am excited to become more involved in the AST community by helping to grow, support, and provide new opportunities for the organization. While I have a Board Member role, I plan to decide on a particular area of focus after spending a couple months figuring out how I can best add value. I truly believe in the spirit and goals of AST in promoting and supporting the evolution of software testing as an intelligent, creative, and context-driven craft.

This summer I also started co-instructing the BBST Foundations course offered by AST after taking it in the spring (read about my experience). I finished my first co-instruction in July alongside Rebecca Fiedler and Michael Larsen, and am currently co-instructing the August session alongside John McConda, Brett Leonard, Michael Larsen, and Jen McCann. I have learned even more in this role, both from my fellow instructors and the students.

Other Organizations

I support a number of other software testing organizations in a variety of ways, while my time and contributions are volunteer-based. I contribute for a number of reasons, the primary being a desire to contribute to this community on a larger scale to help herald in a new era for software testers around the world (one where intelligence, critical-though, and creativity are expected and recognized).

• Software Test Professionals: They have recently undergone a rebranding to create a community for software test professionals who want to learn, engage, and network. I am speaking and leading a workshop at the upcoming STP Conference in October, have been an interviewee for Matt Heusser’s weekly This Week in Software Testing broadcast, have an article releasing on the STP website this week, and am giving a webinar for STP in September on test management. Again, this is a volunteer-based community, and the majority of my involvement has been non-paid work. I have recently joined a couple of STP Crews, though have yet to see what they are about in practice. A great way to contribute and gain recognition through a variety of avenues.

• Software Testing Club: This is an open-community of software testers. My recent activity has been limited to contributions to their newspaper, The Testing Planet. I have read a lot of really good content, contributed by test practitioners, trainers, and consultants who are truly passionate about software testing. While contributions are not paid for, there is a broad audience of testers who read this publication, and the website content, due to the breadth of the community. Another great way to contribute to the field.

• Waterloo Workshops on Software Testing: A local workshop I started with a colleague this year. It is a peer workshop with an emphasis on mutual learning, sharing hands-on experiences, solving practical problems, and promoting contributions to the field. We aim to build skills in software testing and allow people who are passionate about software testing to network with their peers, and help to move thinking about testing forward. Contact me if you are interested in participating in an upcoming workshop.

• Kitchener-Waterloo Software Quality Association: I continue to offer my support to my local software quality/testing organization, the KWSQA. I promote the organization, present at membership meetings and the yearly conference, and (try) to attend monthly membership meetings. I declined a larger role in the organization this season, due to my other obligations aside from starting up my own business.

What Are You Doing?

How are you supporting the software testing community?

Volunteering takes time and requires following through on committments. BUT it is also extremely rewarding in a number of ways:

• A sense of pride and satisfaction in helping the testing community grow and evolve.
• Networking with like-minded individuals you can call on if you need advice or help.
• Meet and network with people you respect and admire.
• Learn even more about your craft as a result of all of these, which increases your skills, professionalism, and drives your career forward.
• Build recognition for yourself in the industry and propel your career forwards.

There are many opportunities to assist with, and contribute to any of these organizations and many others. Let go of your excuses and fear and take your first step in helping the software testing industry gain the respect it deserves. Whether you can pitch in a few hours, or several days, over the course of a year, any organization will be glad to have you on board as volunteers are in short supply.

Contact me for questions about, or even a desire to volunteer for, any of the organizations I mentioned. You can even contact me if you can’t find a local organization you would like to contribute to – I may be able to locate something suitable, or connect you with someone else who can.

I challenge you to step up your game!

Chen-Gackstatter Minimal Surface, by Paul Nylander

I particularly enjoyed the discussion that occurred during the latter portion of my session. Participants questioned some ideas and shared their own experiences. This is what makes CAST a great conference – lots of conferring!

One outcome of the discussion was a list of handy tools, aids, or methods, that support the use of visualization techniques. With a little creativity, visual models can be crafted on a variety of surfaces – computers are not the only tool for creating visual aids.

Check out the myriad of options for making good use of hand drawn diagrams, pictures, and other visual aids that foster collaboration, communication, and understanding:

Giant Sticky Notes:

• These are great because you get the advantages of writing on paper combined with the portability of typically-sized Post-It notes. Roll them up to store them, then unroll and stick on a wall to continue collaborative discussions and brainstorming.

Make Your Own Giant Sticky Notes:

• Any size and colour of paper can be quickly and easily turned into a giant stickynote – get the advantages of sticky note portability with your favourite paper! Try the following as a restickable adhesive: Scotch Restickable Adhesive Glue Stick, 3M ReMount Spray Adhesive Repositionable.

WhiteBoards:

• Everyone should have access to a whiteboard in their workspace in my opinion. They are great for hashing out ideas, collaborating with colleagues, and making information and visible. If you can swing it, get some really big two-sided whiteboards on wheels that can be moved around to where they’re needed at the moment. These were a big help for some teams I worked with in constrained spaces to house their Sprint Backlog, Issues, and Burndown Charts.

Make Your Own Whiteboard:

• If you’re cash-strapped, or just like to make stuff, you can create your own whiteboards with a few simple items from your local do-it-yourself building store (e.g. Home Depot): Tileboard/Showerboard, Plywood, and Panel Adhesive.
• Giant whiteboards can be made cheaply using Solid White Tileboard (or Melamine tile wall panel), panel adhesive, and plywood. Want higher quality? Invest in ceramic coated metal (e.g. P3 Ceramicsteel) and you also get the added bonus of a magnetic surface.  Thanks to www.kk.org for these tips.
• Use Dry Erase Paint on any surface and turn it into a whiteboard. Combine with Magnetic Primer to get a magnetic whiteboard.

Interactive Whiteboards – eg. SmartBoard:

• If you can get your company to invest in them, these whiteboards are pricey, but incredibly useful. Use them for interactive collaboration with colleagues in the same location, or located elsewhere if you add the conferencing software option.   Save content immediately to a usb drive, network storage, or distribute immediately via email. Some versions even allow you to use the whiteboard as a computer display AND interact with documents, pictures, and video’s with digital ink. How cool is that?

Make Your Own Iteractive Whiteboard with Wii Controller:

• My jaw dropped when I heard this could be done. For a fraction of the cost of a purchased interactive whiteboard (like a SmartBoard), the technically-inclined can make their own interactive whiteboard using an LED pen, Wiimote, Whiteboard, Projector, and a Computer with Bluetooth.

Windows:

• I’m talking about the windows in your office, not the operating system.  Use them with whiteboard markers, and you have readily available collaboration centers. If you’re lucky enough to have glass windows on the interior of the building, you can also keep information confidential.

Digital Camera’s:

• Digital camera’s are pretty accessible these days as they are found in phones, smartphones, secret spy pens, and of course, a traditional digital camera. Work captured on whiteboards, chart paper, and even windows can be saved via a picture and stored on a computer. No need to create a soft copy version, unless you think it needs a ‘professional edge’ or future editing.

Video Camera’s:

• Video camera’s are also more accessible, and can be used for not only capturing visual aids in digital format, but also the discussion’s that went into creating them. This can be invaluable for understanding why certain decisions were made.

Bloomfire.com

• Someone mentioned this site as a tool for online collaboration that was worth checking out. I haven’t looked into it much myself. The website indicates that it is valuable for collaborative learning, team collaboration, and sharing files.

Computer Software:

• There are many programs available that will allow you to create visual diagrams. Mindmapping tools (I use FreeMind, which is opensource), drawing programs, flowcharting software (Microsoft Visio, ConceptDraw Pro), and UML tools are just a few to consider.

Get Input Fast:

• This is a method for creating and improving on existing visual diagrams. By printing many copies of a diagram and distributing to people with crayons, and defining no rules, invite people to contribute. Crayons add an element of fun, and visibility to changes and additions. Ask people to note errors, make corrections & additions, share their thoughts & concerns, or even create new diagrams to capture their understanding of a particular topic. This is a fast and easy way to get everyone’s input into a combined diagram before gathering folks in a room together to discuss it (save time & money!).

I hope that this list gives you some new idea’s to try out. Personally, I’m going to make a giant whiteboard, and then try out the interactive Wiimote whiteboard. These will get some good use in my home.

Are there other things that you would add to this list?  Please share them with everyone by leaving a comment!

A bold statement? … Perhaps.

If you have ever attended CAST though, I am sure you would agree with me. If you haven’t, check out my earlier post on Why I Attend CAST to learn why.

Exploratory Test Automation

This year I started with a full day workshop by Harry Robinson on Exploratory Test Automation. He challenged the prevalent notion that test automation means running the exact same set of scripts every time. The same idea is still rather prevalent when it comes to manual testing, but exploratory testing is starting to make inroads in the testing industry to change that. You may be surprised to learn that similar principles can be applied to test automation too.

The basics: Challenge automation assumptions, vary inputs, vary paths through a program, automated tests <> human-driven tests.

Watch for an upcoming blog post expanding on this.

I have been fortunate in guiding teams in applying basic exploratory-like automation techniques, but appreciated the stories and experiences that Harry shared. They were interesting challenges to hear about.

Though I was not able to attend, Cem Kaner and Doug Hoffman also did a track session on the same topic, which I heard was also quite good.

Conversation Starters

After a rushed dinner, I spent Monday evening chatting with a number of other people about Mentorship and Consulting.  I had volunteered to be on a ‘panel’ for each of these and ended up being double-booked. Pleasantly, both turned into informal chat sessions, which allowed all participants and panel members to hang out and learn from each other.

The Mentorship talk focused on the qualities and behaviours of good mentors and/or coaches, and things to consider if you wanted to become a mentor.  The Consulting talk focused on the building blocks in deciding to become a consultant, what to do before you make the leap, and how to get through those first couple of years. Good discussions all around.

Art of Visualization

Wednesday afternoon I presented, ‘The Art of Visualization’, discussing how visual modeling techniques help improve effectiveness in testing, and allow testers to add more value to stakeholders. I shared examples of how visual models like flowcharts, mindmaps, informal whiteboard diagrams, and use case diagrams are valuable tools for customer requirements, software designs, test strategies, and problem resolution. Learn more via my presentation slides, and supporting paper.

I particularly enjoyed the discussion that occurred during the latter portion of my session. Participants questioned some ideas, shared their own experiences, and even drafted a list of tools that can be used to enable the use of visual models. Thanks to all who attended!

Watch for an upcoming blog post on this.

Communication Chameleons

Wednesday afternoon I also presented, “Communication Chameleons”, discussing the importance of testers being able to speak effectively to different types of stakeholders. I shared a story about a coworker who did this rather well and held the respect (and ear) of everyone he worked with, from customer support, to programmers, through to the executive team. The presentation finished up summarizing important parts of communication as testers, such as active listening, engagement, adaptive behaviours, and information radiation. Learn more via my presentation slides, and supporting paper.

The discussion that followed was engaging as attendees shared their own communication experiences, recommendations, and insights. I thank everyone who attended for their contributions.

Unplanned Activities

It used to be that when I went to a conference I planned out all the sessions I was going to attend and the evening activities I would partake in. A couple of years ago I broke that habit, and learned to ‘take it as it comes’. My conference experiences are now never what I expected, yet seem to provide me with exactly what I needed.

Case in point: While I had thought to attend sessions on Tuesday, I ended up spending most of the day talking with different testers. The discussions were quite wonderful (both the people, and the topics) and covered a variety of testing, software, and other various topics.

On the various thread: One person I spoke to was like fate intervening – they had a teenage son with Asperger’s Syndrome (high functioning autism), while I suspect that my son may as well. We spent time comparing stories, and they offered helpful advice. In another fate-like intervention, I had a conversation with someone about experiences with chronic pain (from which I suffer) and pain management strategies. I now have new approaches to look into that I had not investigated before. I did not expect those experiences at CAST!

Note: Evening activities are a must!

At CAST this year, the Rebel Alliance hosted a sponsored event (with several independents kicking in sponsorship funds) with drinks and snacks. There was a strong turn out with many conference attendees partaking in the goods and enjoying conversations.

Otherwise, while going out with folks for dinner and drinks is exhausting every night, I strongly recommend it. It is well worth the effort, as you will have conversations you would never have at the conference otherwise.

Games nights are also strongly encouraged!  Wednesday evening saw a sizable number of people playing interesting strategy games. While I’m a board-game fanatic, I didn’t get to participate as I needed to get out to eat dinner. I did buy one of the games on my way home though, and look forward to playing it soon.

Through the rest of the conference I was pleased to spend time talking with so many friendly, intelligent, thoughtful, and insightful testers. I hung with old friends, met people I had only met online through BBST or Twitter, as well as people who knew me and my blog (how cool!), and many others I met for the first time. I can’t possibly list everyone, so you will have to trust me in that the calibre of people who attend CAST is top-notch.

Thanks to everyone I met and spoke with, I appreciate you for the pleasure of your company, time and insights.

Next Year

CAST 2011 will be held in Seattle, Washington.

This is sure to be another amazing conference!  The Conference Chair, Jonathan Bach, and the Program Chair, James Bach, already have some great ideas that I am excited to see occur. Be sure to book the date as soon as it is announced.

If you would like to be involved as a volunteer, be sure to contact AST, Jon, or James, or myself (I’ll hook you up) asap.  We can always use more help!

I hope to see you at CAST next year … and bring some friends along too!

Yesterday my husband, son, and I took a road trip to seek out interesting places in our area. We have found it is easy to take local attractions for granted when they are so close, and often think “we’ll get there one day”, but that day rarely comes.  It was time to correct that for some select places of interest.

Castle Kilbride

The first stop was Castle Kilbride, a heritage site located in the small town of Baden, Ontario. We had driven past signs for it countless times over the last 16 years but had never been there. It proved to be more of a large opulent house than a castle, but it was interesting to see.

The Puzzling Tombstone

Our next stop was a small cemetery north of Wellesley, Ontario, which was purported to contain a tombstone with an inscription that was in itself a puzzle. Readers had to decipher the puzzle in order to understand what was written upon the tombstone. Being a lover of puzzles, we spent time sitting in the cemetery in front of the infamous gravestone, and proceeded to decipher the message. It took some time, but we did figure most of it out. What fun!

Take a look at the photo below, and see if you can decipher it’s message. No cheating!

So… Did you solve it?

What techniques did you use to get started?

What methods did you apply as you deciphered the message?

Did you use any heuristics, oracles, design, or testing techniques to help you solve this puzzle?

Consider how this exercise can help you in your day job, whether you are a tester, a programmer, or general agilist.

Please share your insights and thoughts!

To finish my story…

The last stops on our road trip were searching for Pioneer Tower in south Kitchener, Ontario, and Sheave Tower in Blair, Ontario. Unfortunately we did not have exact locations, and were unable to locate them.

After returning home, we did some searches online and discovered we drove right past the access points for them. They turned into an adventure for today, instead.

PS. You can see the solution to the tombstone puzzle, and the history of the origins of the tombstone at the link provided here. Please do not post this information on this blog. If you are trying to solve the puzzle, do not look at this page until you have finished. Tombstone Puzzle, Rushes Cemetery, Woolwich Township

Having been a black box software tester for a few years already, I still knew there was a lot I could learn from this course specifically. Hands-on courses with exercises requiring active observation, critical thinking, and collaboration with peers were in short supply back then. I relished the opportunity to challenge myself and to learn, so I was hooked.

Oh, and it was free. That made it easy to get approval from my manager to take the course (ha! Free = no approval necessary!).

Unfortunately, I consistently had obligations that kept me away from the course. Excuses? No. That’s just how it was.  Starting and raising a family while moving up the ranks in responsibility at work took priority.

Fast-forward five years.

The Black-Box Software Testing Foundations course was moved to be offered and taught through the Association for Software Testing. Cem is actively involved with the AST, as are many other bright, active, and thinking testers who do a lot to contribute to, and further, the craft of software testing.The BBST Foundations course is offered for free to all AST members. There are subsequent courses offered as well, with a nominal fee for both members and non-members.

All course material is still available on the Center for Software Testing Education & Research website, so you can take it on your own time, though you won’t benefit from the peer and instructor interactions (which are a BIG piece of the learning throughout the course).

In March I finally found the time to register for the May 2010 offering of the BBST Foundations course, as I had a lighter workload than usual in May. I admit that I was somewhat nervous as I had not actively applied my skills at a “doer” level in quite some time, due to numerous roles at management, project/program management, and other similar, levels.

Without giving away pertinent course details that will require course instructors/designers to have to devise new materials to evaluate student comprehension, I can say that I enjoyed the BBST Foundations course immensely.

Reflections on BBST Foundations

The course was advertised to be about 8 hours of work, per week. While that seemed like a fair amount, I was quite surprised to find myself spending 20-25 hours on course work per week. It was well worth it though.

Highlights of my experiences during the BBST Foundations course include:

• Online course experience. I found this difficult at first, as I prefer to work with people in person to observe body language, and to form bonds. It is more challenging to do via email and forum posts, but possible with a concerted effort. This experience gave me hope for future online learning experiences. The course designers encouraged a lot of peer interaction to promote and facilitate learning, which did wonders for everyone’s learning.

• I met phenomenal testers, both new to the field, and many years experienced; both instructors, and students; located here in Canada, North America, Europe, and Asia. I appreciate the learning I obtained and experienced with all of them.

• I learned, a lot! Having been in the software field for 10 years, I wondered how much I would learn from an introductory black box software testing course. I discovered that there was a lot to learn still. Without providing specific details, I can tell you that whether you are new to testing, a small number of years in, or a decade or more, this course will get you thinking critically, and from different perspectives.

• I still don’t like multiple choice tests. Yes, there are multiple choice quizzes in the course. These are intended to help you think critically while reading text to correctly understand intent and respond with the appropriate answer. Sometimes only small nuances make the difference between a correct and incorrect answer. I have never been very good at multiple choice, and discovered I still am not. That said, the exercises certainly helped me slow down and try to think the through questions using different approaches.

• The assignments were incredibly valuable to explore the concepts of oracles and heuristics. For whatever reason, I have often struggled with the terms ‘oracle’ and ‘heuristic’, despite that I can use them appropriately in context. Regardless, the exercises really nailed home these terms and improved my application of them in practice.

• The exam has a study guide, which is a series of questions that you are able to attempt and discuss with fellow students. What an idea! Imagine: Time to think through questions and improve upon answers based on peer comments before the actual exam. This really helped me better understand the questions and provide more context-appropriate answers.

So, a lot of work?

Absolutely.

Well worth it?

Yes.

I love to learn, and apply learned skills, to add more value to a business (and subsequently), more value to my immediate organization. I found this BBST Foundations course to be challenging, educational, and appropriately balanced in introductory concepts and applications.

I highly recommend the BBST Foundations course to all levels and experiences of software tests (heck, even non-software testers).

Be sure to sign up for upcoming BBST course offerings on the AST website.

.. and hey, I passed the BBST Foundations course! Yay!

My first experience at the Conference of the Association for Software Testing (CAST) was in Toronto in July 2008.

I heard about CAST from a colleague who attended the conference the previous year in Seattle, and was hooked on what he said about it. Determined to go to the next one regardless of the location, my bank account was pleased when Toronto was confirmed (which is a mere one hour drive for me).  It was time to see what all the buzz was about.

While attending a pre-conference tutorial on the first day, I quickly felt and understood what my colleague was referring to.  It felt like a homecoming, with all my favourite testing relatives in attendance.  Many long-lost cousins, relatives I didn’t know I had, and even close family members who I often stayed in touch with. Relatively speaking, of course.  :)

Over the course of the conference, I found many things to love about CAST:

The attendees. People from around the world attended.  Everyone I met was excited, passionate, interactive, intent on helping one another, and all around friendly.  This may come as a surprise to those who know me, but I have often struggled to meet and talk with new people in large group settings.  It did not take long for me to jump in though!  And did I mention?  These people were smart and interesting!  The quality of the people that attend CAST are bar-none.

The session formats. One cool thing about CAST is that sessions are structured so that 2/3 of the time is alloted for the speaker to do their thing, and the other 1/3 is for attendees to ask questions.  The coolest part is how the question period is done.  It is moderated so discussion topics become threads that are followed through to completion before another topic is started.  You use different coloured cards to signal your intent to speak up, and a very talented moderator will add you to the appropriate place in the queue.  This makes for very interactive sessions.

The speakers. AST does a phenomenal job of selecting the speakers for the conference, providing a variety of presentation formats and topics.  You might find traditional presentations with powerpoint slides, a session with musical props, an interactive experiential exercise, or even some improv. Topics range from the technical, techniques, soft-skills, management focus, and even life experiences tied to testing. There is something for everyone’s tastes.

The organizers. Organizing a conference is hard work, and the folks that step up to do CAST do a great job. I have been fortunate to get to know many of the organizers for the last two conferences, and the upcoming one, fairly well. Every one of them is brilliant, down-to-earth, great to talk and debate with, fun to hang out with, and inspirational in what you can achieve when you set your mind to it. I applaud their contributions to the testing community.

The connections. I made a lot of wonderful connections with people, learned a lot during the sessions, and in conversations outside the sessions.  Many people I met at my first CAST in 2008 have become colleagues I communicate with throughout the year, and many of those, good friends too.  How cool is it to have a network of colleagues and friends in your line of work who live around the world?

I enjoyed my first CAST experience so much that I committed to attending the next one.

It was enticing to know it was in Colorado Springs, but better yet, to know that another reunion would occur in a year.  I ended up submitting a proposal and presenting at CAST 2009 (well, I facilitated an interactive session that was a lot of fun).  My experiences there were just as wonderful, as I solidified relationships, formed new ones, learned from colleagues, and just plain had fun.

Now CAST 2010 beckons in the town of Grand Rapids, Michigan, August 2-4, 2010.

CAST has become one of my must-attend conferences of any year, so I was pleased when I heard it was in Michigan.  A mere 5 hour drive from home, I could carpool with others and save on flight costs.  I am pleased to share that I am speaking at CAST this year, not for just one session, but two! I’m not sure what the organizers were thinking when they made that decision, but I’m happy to take it.  :)  Check out all the sessions here.

So, am I going to see you at CAST this year?

What are you waiting for?!

Isn’t learning and collaboration important for your professional and personal growth?

Get yourself signed up ASAP, because the early bird deadline ends tomorrow!

You are going to love your experience at CAST!

I look forward to meeting you there!

- Selena

• Work out a deal with your boss so you can show its value within X amount of time after returning.
• See if the conference organizers could use your help in exchange for a discount. Disclaimer:  I don’t know if this is feasible for CAST, but I have done that for other conferences I really wanted to go to.
• Ask for training time off.  So, pay for the conference & travel, but don’t lose vacation time.
• Attend anyway.  Yes, paying out of pocket sucks, and so does using vacation time.  My learning and growth are more important to me though, so I cut back on other expenses and save up to attend things that are good for me.
• Trust me, this conference is that good.

Attend CAST 2010

The 5th annual Conference of the Association for Software Testing

August 2-4, 2010, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

“Skills in Testing”

About CAST

CAST reflects the AST’s core mission: to build community amongst scholars, practitioners, and students for the advancement of the practice of software testing. In 2010, CAST aims to leverage peer collaboration to build an enhanced understanding of how various skills influence tester effectiveness.

CAST offers a unique opportunity to learn and confer with others that simply isn’t found at other conferences. Each scheduled session allocates time for facilitated “open season” discussions that encourage participants to question and challenge the presentation. What takes place in the hallways, at receptions, and during meals and lightning talks truly sets CAST apart; for many attendees, the greatest value is derived from the opportunity to discuss and delve into the topics that matter to them.

Space is limited Register Today!

More information and Registration: www.CAST2010.org

Full Conference Pricing (non-member)
$630 by May 15th, 2010 ($280 savings)

We can’t wait to see you in Grand Rapids!

The target? A simple calculator to estimate parking costs at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (see the Parking Calculator). The participants? Testers on Twitter.  The result? Much fun, lots of learning, and many bugs found.

I had planned to do other work in my backlog this morning, but a testing challenge can’t often be ignored (by me, anyway).  As I work from home between gigs, I can afford a little leeway in my schedule some days.  :)

While I have actively managed and coached on testing over the last number of years, I haven’t actively tested anything in a while.  So this was a chance to see just how rusty my testing skills were.  And do it live with testing colleagues around the globe.  No pressure.

If you haven’t yet, go click on that link above and try out your testing prowess before you read further!

Highlights from my Session
My eye was immediately drawn to finding ways to find the boundaries in the date and time fields, check valid/invalid data, and max out the cost estimate.  After playing with it for a couple of minutes, I was able to obtain a $6.75 million charge for 1 day of short term parking.

A little bit odd, right?

Some more attempts saw my cost estimate creeping upwards to $2,500,000,000,000,041.00, by simply pushing a limit in the Leave Time field, as seen below.  Notice that I was given a parking duration of an exponential day?  Stranger yet.

From there, I started my attempts to max all of the data entry in an attempt to drive the cost higher still.

Some of the interesting things I observed along the way:

• No limit on amount of data that could be entered in Date and Time fields.
• No restriction on amount of time that Short-Term Parking applied to.
• In some situations, when Leave Date increased a large amount beyond Start Date, Cost decreased (while all other variables remained the same).
• When entering large numbers (around 10 digits & higher), data in Time fields had a larger impact on Cost than did data in date fields.
• Can enter negative numbers into Date and Time fields, and Cost is calculated.
• Can enter letters into Date and Time fields, and Cost is calculated.
• Can enter symbols into Date and Time fields, and Cost is calculated.
• I suspect you could enter php script into fields and do something interesting (possible security issue?), but my php skills are non-existent these days.
• Found a sort of boundary in each data entry points in Date & Time fields.  For each point X in (X:X, X/X/X) an additional digit added resulted in calculator producing an error, and then an additional digit beyond that resulted in a lower Cost than two attempts ago.
• Can get free parking over course of a day, provided Start Date = Leave Date, and Start Time > Leave Time where:  Start <=11:59, Leave >= 0:59 (both am, or both pm).  This reports negative days parked.

My maximum Cost? $5,014,609,699,998,504.00 (for 2.08942070833E+14 Days, 14 Hours, 47.4666666667 Minutes)

This was a quick session, so there was much more to be found that I didn’t attempt.  To see other experiences, check out the conversations and results reported on Twitter via the #parkcalc hashtag.

I was particularly impressed with the findings of James Bach, who followed Dave Liebreich’s lead, and used exponentials to achieve a higher estimate (why didn’t I think of that?!).  Try as I might, I couldn’t play off of his data to achieve a higher one yet.

And then Markus Gartner really wowed me.  He achieved highest (reported) cost using specific numbers in the year field, that I can’t for the life of me figure out why they were special to achieve that result.  Altering his data didn’t achieve anything higher either.

So What’s The Point?
The point wasn’t to find ways to maximize the parking cost estimate.  Nor to just find really weird bugs in the application.  The point also wasn’t to say whether the application Gerald R. Ford International Airport put on their website was of poor quality (Note: Data is being collected to send to them as a result of this exercise, so they can fix things if they choose to).

The point was simply to practice some testing skills, learn from other testers, and have some fun.

And I did!  I had a blast.  Thanks to all my fellow tweeps for the engaging exercise and 140-character limit conversations!

Stay tuned for highlights from the Debrief that will occur among some of the testers that got involved.