Wednesday 16 May 2012

Really? You can't replicate this?


Sometimes, things happen that seem quite straight forward, quite obvious and quite easy to repeat
And sometimes they are only quite straight forward, quite obvious, and quite easy to repeat to you.

I had a fault with my ASUS EEEPAD Transformer.
I reported it.
NB. I don't have the original report but I asked them to send me a copy and this is apparently what I wrote "memory card slot shoots the card back out"

Now, not a long description but I thought I had written  enough.
I was wrong.

They could not replicate it.

They sent it back.

They did not contact me first before sending it back.

They wiped the system.
I'm not sure why they would even have to turn it on for the fault that I was reporting but what do I know?
The report details read 'test ok/no fault found.'

I emailed back requesting details of their investigation as the fault was still present.
I did not receive details of their investigation, I received no response to that request.

I did receive a request that it be tried with another memory card which I had already done.
I also had not realised that a batch of memory cards with thoughts of freedom had been realised.

I did receive a request for a video of the fault.
I made the video.

There is only 1 memory card slot on the device and it only takes 1 kind of memory card.
I thought this would be easy to replicate. And it is. But not for everybody.

For some unexplained reason I then had to raise another support request.
Device went back and came back.
Fault stated to be fixed.
Do I trust them?
No.
Do I now have duct tape over the memory card slot?
Yes.

Lessons learnt:
Easy and obvious is only easy and obvious to you.
If you can back it up with a video do so from the start.
If something is reported and you can't replicate it contact the people who reported it. It was reported for a reason.
Take and keep notes.

This is the video, could you replicate this?


Testing Today - What are the main challenges?

I'm on the 'Testing Today' panel at the Next Generation Testing Conference on Wednesday 23rd May.  We'll be discussing the main challenges to testing today.

What would you ask?


Panel 1: Testing Today - What are the main challenges?
Moderator: Dr Richard Sykes
Panelists include: Stephen Janaway, Nokia; Tony Bruce, Tony Bruce Consulting Ltd; others TBA

Topics to be debated include:-
  •  Testing in the cloud
  •  Testing mobile applications
  •  Testing Big Data migrations
  •  Games Testing
  •  Non-software systems testing
Case Study: Mobile Testing - That's Just a Smaller Screen, Right?
Stephen Janaway, Nokia

Panel 2: New Tools and Techniques
Moderator: Susan Windsor, Gerrard Consulting
Panelists include: Andy Redwood, JP Morgan; Claudia Badell, Universidad de la República, Uruguay; Jenny Martin, Collaborate Solutions Ltd; Paul Gerrard, Gerrard Consulting; Bertrand Meyer, ETH Zurich/ Chief Architect, Eiffel Software

Topics to be debated include:-
  •  The role of test automation today
  •  Test automation tools and a quick guide to their relative merits
  •  Where does Automation fit in an Agile project?
Keynote: Can Tests be Truly Automatic?
Bertrand Meyer, ETH Zurich/ Chief Architect, Eiffel Software

Case study: 10 Key Behaviours for a Successful Agile Tester
Colin Weaver, DB Consulting
A successful Agile transformation requires a different mindset and ethos for the project team from traditional waterfall projects. Using real-life examples, this presentation focuses on the behaviours that help contribute to an individual being a successful Agile Tester.

Panel 3: All about Agile
Moderator: Niels Malotaux, Malotaux Consulting
Panelists include: Taheerah Atchia, Late Rooms.com; Liz Keogh, Lunivore; Steve Tulk; Colin Weaver, DB Consulting; Steve Watson, Reed Business Information

Topics to be debated include:-
  •  Building a QA Team for the Agile Age
  •  Quality Management in an Agile Context
  •  Agile Project Scaling
  •  Can Agile and Waterfall teams work together on the same project?