TL;DR
This is my personal cheat sheet for TestBash Brighton 2017 testing gathering.
Based on my previous conference experiences, I realized that I need a one stop shop reminder for conference activities. I will print out this blog post. Here it goes.
- Wednesday Pre-TestBash Meetup, 29-30 Surrey street, Brighton, BN1 3PA
Starts at 7.00PM but it does not designates ending time. I can be there at 9.30PM so I will need to check meetup page when I arrive.
My Google maps route:
Pool Valley Coach Station, Brighton BN1 1NJ, UK => 52 Regency Square, Brighton BN1 2FF, UK => 29 Surrey St, Brighton BN1 3PB, UK
2. Thursday workshop day
a. Morning
Agile Exploration Workshop::Alessandra Moreira
Teams practicing any flavor of agile development have different views on the role of a tester. As a test practitioner and hiring manager, I found one of the challenges we face as in the Software Test industry is that although Exploratory Testing makes its way to many resumes and conversations, not many people know what it really is, are unsure how to perform it in an agile context, and are unaware of how to execute it skillfully.
In this hands-on workshop, we will discuss what exploratory testing is by definition and will put it in practice by testing real software. We will examine how it is a perfect fit in an agile environment, and how to master the skills necessary to become an expert exploratory tester – in any team.
Hope for takeaway
My current testing project has zero documentation and by documentation I do not mean word document. I mean documentation that can be get by using various tools. For example, my current issue is that I need to test an api. In Ruby on rails project, I would use
rake routes
but there is no comparable command in client framework. I will try with security scanners, in order to find all routes with brute force. I hope that I will get some practice and ideas how to solve similar issues. In this workshop description I am confused with Agile Exploration title that switches to Exploratory Testing. I will definitely need clarification on that matter.
b. Afternoon
SOLD OUT – Critical Thinking for Testers, Programmers, and Managers::Michael Bolton
Critical thinking is the kind of thinking that specifically looks for problems and mistakes. Regular people don’t do a lot of it. However, if you want to be a great tester, you need to be a great critical thinker. The good news is that critical thinking is not just innate intelligence or a talent <— > it’s a learnable and improvable skill. Michael Bolton shares the specific techniques and heuristics of critical thinking and presents realistic testing puzzles that help you practice and increase your thinking skills.
Rapid critical thinking begins with four questions—Huh? Really? And? So?—that kickstart your brain and help you to analyze plans, specifications, risks, causes, effects, bugs, and anything else that puzzles you. Join Michael for this interactive, hands-on session and practice your critical thinking skills.
Hope for takeaway
To improve my critical thinking skills. To be able to develop my own testing puzzles.
3. TestBash Meetup – sponsored by QASymphony – 6PM conference location
3. Friday Pre-TestBash Run, 7AM, Palace pier
There is no Palace Pier in Google maps so I will need to check the actual location during Thursday. It is not clear what is run ending point, I hope that it is Conference location. My plan is to walk at pace of 4km/hour.
4. Friday conference day
Nine 30 minutes sessions will probably drain my intellectual energy by I plan to stay focus for those 270 minutes. No alcohol on Wednesday night and a minimum of seven hour of deep sleep. My accommodation heuristic was to pick the cheapest Booking offer. In Birmingham that was bad decision because I got glass braking noise wakeup at 4 AM. Hope Brighton does not do so heavy bottle recycling.
99 second talks
This how you need to do it:
Think of something to talk about
Ensure you are in a quiet location
Grab your mobile phone in landscape mode
Press record
Talk or do something for 99 seconds
Stop recording
Email the file or a place to download it to Rosie – rosie@softwaretestingclub.com
I am not sure how this will work. Shall we watch already recorded talks, or talks will be filmed on stage?
5. Hindsight TestBash Meetup 6PM, Conference location
Game meetup. Eric Davis wrote a great post about games for software testers: Using Games to Make You a Better Tester. I am bringing Batman Fluxx and Game of Set. I can also present Mastermind that requires only pen, paper and somebody to play with.
6. Saturday Open Space event by Richard Bradshaw 9.00AM
I always learn a lot at open space events. In Croatia we have annual Testival open space conference, I was at TestRetreat 2016, organized by Matt Heusser. Why this works? Because you are in the same place with smart testers and you can discuss whatever you like. By that, you learn a lot!
That it is, full steam pack of learning opportunities. My tool is notebook with four pencils (red, green, blue and black).
