Notes on the software craft.
I explore technology and how to build software that is reliable, safe, and affordable, quickly.
by Pete Houghton peterhoughton.com LinkedIn
Do your hear phrases like "All our users use [insert some technology]" spoken in your office? or possibly "We have a 'corporate standard' desktop". I have a lot. I have since my first job, back in the '90s. It's a commonly held belief in most of the client companies I've worked…Do your hear phrases like "All our users use [insert some technology]" spoken in your office? or possibly "We have a… more »
Do you ever feel like we do all this work and maybe we needn't of bothered? Things might have worked out without our intervention. Or we are actually worse off, now, after the work? You're not alone. This is a common problem in any role where you need to investigate the effects…Do you ever feel like we do all this work and maybe we needn't of bothered? Things might have worked out without our… more »
I recently read a post on the Google Testing blog titled: How Google Tests Software Part Three. I added a comment to the post, but that comment has yet to appear . I thought I'd add post my comment here in the mean time. (I've added some links here, for the curious) “I agree…I recently read a post on the Google Testing blog titled: How Google Tests Software Part Three. I added a comment to… more »
Meet my new friend 2.2250738585072012e 308, We've been hanging out recently. If you've not heard of him, he's about ten years old but thats pretty old in [dog and in] software years. He's getting pretty famous in his old age, but he had humble beginnings as a lowly bug report on…Meet my new friend 2.2250738585072012e 308, We've been hanging out recently. If you've not heard of him, he's about ten… more »
Have you ever had trouble explaining to a non tester why you appear to be intent on breaking their software? It can be difficult to explain why it's important. So I thought a video might help... <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="https://www.youtube…Have you ever had trouble explaining to a non tester why you appear to be intent on breaking their software? It can be… more »
People want to believe. If you are a tester then you've probably seen this in your work. A new build of the software has been delivered. "Just check it works" you're told, It's 'a given ' for most people that the software will work. This isn't unusual, it's normal human…People want to believe. If you are a tester then you've probably seen this in your work. A new build of the software… more »
Why do we refer to our ancestors as Cavemen? The evidence of course! The cave paintings, the rubbish piles found in caves all round the world. It's simple, Cavemen lived in caves, they painted on the walls and threw rubbish into the corner of the cave. Thousands of years later…Why do we refer to our ancestors as Cavemen? The evidence of course! The cave paintings, the rubbish piles found in… more »
Office meetings are interesting events. Seriously, even the most boring ones. There's usually an important reason for the meeting, even if that meeting has been lost in the sands of Outlook repeat booking, or the present attendees feel strongly otherwise. There's usually some…Office meetings are interesting events. Seriously, even the most boring ones. There's usually an important reason for… more »
At a client site, a few years ago, I had an interesting discussion with a 'senior programmer'. Our discussion centred on a configurable home page. A user could decide what news or other information etc, they wanted to display on their home page. They'd start off by being given a…At a client site, a few years ago, I had an interesting discussion with a 'senior programmer'. Our discussion centred… more »
For those of you that don't know, I'm somewhat of an amateur horologist. I love clocks, watches and all sorts of time and date keeping gadgets. To feed my passion I've decided to invest in my own custom made timepiece. This device will be my first custom made high value item, in…For those of you that don't know, I'm somewhat of an amateur horologist. I love clocks, watches and all sorts of time… more »