TL;DR
This post is about the last day of TestBash Brighton2017, Open Sessions moderated by Richard Bradshaw. Here are my takeaways.
Open session conference lets participants to propose topics they would like to discuss. This instance was a little bit different than my previous open sessions because each participant could propose only one topic and there was no voting, all topics were arranged into slots.
As you can see from the above photo, last slot was left empty for possible topics created during the open sessions and based on input and ideas received during the open sessions.
Dan Billing’s Proxy Security Surgery
This session was about security testing of vulnerable web application. It is an example of Dan’s workshop. I volunteered to be Dan’s driver while he was presenting security topics. I used Burb Enterprise on Mac, Chrome proxy switcher, and application was ticketmagpie that is available as docker image. We explored from security perspective payment, login and register features.
- every tester gets scared when he thinks about security testing
- security testing etics
- always asked for permission to do it
- we used burp in passive mode
- Burp is Java application
- Charles proxy is Mac alternative
Storytelling in software development
This session was my proposal and it was based on series of blog posts Software as narrative by Noah Sussman. The point is that software development is more like creating narrative. Every stakeholder has its role in novel called software development of application ABC. it was lively 45 minute discussion and I thank to all participants!
Legends of Charlie by David Christiansen
David read first two chapters from his book that is work in progress. I was there because I am currently reading book Writing the novel from plot to print by Lawrence block in order to improve my blog writing skill. And this session produced greatest takeaways!
- scrivener is mac tool that helps writers to write a book
- blog frequency: deep academic once a month, funny stuff once a day, experience based (my frequency for last two years), once a week
- write draft => put it aside =>print it in double spaces => space after chapter => read it and comment
Simon Tomes testbuddy.co
We provided to Simon feedback which features we would like to have in Exploratory session tool that he plans to implement. For now I know about following tools:
- Exploratory Testing Chrome Extension (that I use it on daily basis)
- Rapid Reporter
Heuristics with Paul Holland
And here we were, three of us, last session about heuristics. And two of us get free 30 minutes Paul Holland (Rapid Software Testing teacher) teaching about heuristics.
- heuristics is fallible method that helps us to resolve a problem
- heuristics is like metadata for test ideas
- for example Test Obsessed Test Heuristics cheat sheet: Goldilocks – Too Big, Too Small, Just Right. Goldilocks is test heuristic which helps you to create test idea for integer input box: enter number 9223372036854775807
I noticed a great number of conference speakers at Open session which is great opportunity for every software tester. I joined and listened conversation between Paul and Anne-Marie Charrett. Topic was removing testers from software development because they represent safety net for developers. Ann-Marie said that what next happens is that software developers will create another safety net.
Paul suggested that next Open Session needs to have exposed names of registered participants as a means of attracting more testers to this valuable event.
