Testing Fairy Tales - DEWT meeting 10 march 2017

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9-03-17

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Joris Meerts - Testing Fairy TalesDEWT, 10 March 2017

Testing Fairy Tales

Joris MeertsDEWT, 10 March 2017

Contents

Introduction

Problem statement

Seven manifestations

Definitions

Remedies

Introduction

A relatively large number of publications on software testing willingly ignore the reality of the craft.

The accounts can only refer to fantasy world, such as Aladdins magic garden.

So why is this a problem?

No progress in the field of software testing, no research, no willingness to evaluate practice

No attention to education, learning and skills, craftsmanship

Reducing possibilities to discuss real testing

Charlatans have their way

Anyone can claim to be a tester

Devaluation of the craft

Seven manifestations

Generalization

Dehumanization

Hype

Selling out

No rhyme or reason

Ignorance first

Anything goes

Generalization

Abstract concepts without clarification

(Normative) theory without practice (ISO 29119)

Description of process without implementation (TMap)

Dehumanization

People are cogs in a process

People are classified by their roles

People are automatons, are thought to have machine-like qualities

Hype

Usage of buzzwords (cloud, big data, analytics) without clarification of those concepts

Focus on trends in IT, not on testing

Using popular sources (e.g. Gartner) as evidence without verification

Selling out

Commercial considerations outweigh integrity

Promoting and improving status of the speaker / author

Visionary for the sake of being visionary

Glorification of celebrity and authority

No rhyme or reason

Hardly any use of arguments or reasoning

Unverifiable claims

Many logical fallacies

No interaction, not open for questions

Ignorance first

References are not presented

Facts are not checked

Act as if history never happened

Wikipedia as the single source of truth

Anything goes...

Whatever it is, it can be applied to testing

Frequent use of metaphor

Grab a book from Umberto Eco's Antilibrary

Frequent use of insights from popular science

Some definitions

Fairy tale: a story (as for children) involving fantastic forces and beings

Fantasy: a creation of the imaginative faculty whether expressed or merely conceived

Myth: a popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone

Folklore: an often unsupported notion, story, or saying that is widely circulate

Quackery: an ignorant, misinformed, or dishonest practitioner of medicine

Fraud: an act of deceiving or misrepresenting

Considerations

Is this really (such a big) problem?

Is this about more than just looking at reality from a different angle?

Is there a cure?

How does one argue about fantasy?

Remedies

Start white hat (ethical) hacking magazines

Start a satirical testing advice engine

Publish a wall of shame on the internet

Start a fact-checking committee

Offer to help magazines with reviewing

Reduce presentation formats that facilitate quacks

Hand out buzzword bingo cards at conferences

Teach people about logical fallacies at conferences

Reward critical thinking