Test Camp: Edicy

Few weeks ago I got an idea - very dangerous, especially when you lack time. The idea was to create sort of camp out event for testers to practice our skills, learn new skills and get to know each other. After several days of thinking and discussing this idea with friends I trust (some are testers as well) I decided to organize an event called Test Camp. Idea was to spend 1-2 days in a row on one specific software and try to find as much bugs (or issues, since not all issues are bugs) as possible. Secondly I thought it would give participants excellent chance to see how other testers work and think. Thirdly the idea was to try new methods and techniques of software testing in order to see which ones work better. To add some coke and pizza to that event would make it like camping out with computers - kind of LAN party with the exception that instead of playing games, we would test.

So I start moving forward with my idea.
First I put up list of participants. Since it was a first time event I didn't want to make it too crowded. So first list contained 2 of my friends (and also ambitious testers) Rasmus Koorits (Tester from Celeg Hannas), Madis Jullinen (tester from WebMedia) and of course myself.
Then I chose website making tool called Edicy from company Fraktal as the first software to be Test Camped (term I invented to illustrate that the event is like sending software into boot camp). It has got some media coverage here and there and since my company decided to build our own website upon it, I thought it might be a good idea. So I talked with one of the creators (and owner) of that tool for permissions to do it. Not only did he agree with the idea, he also suggested that their tester should participate as well. Wow... That was surprising, but okey... so now there were 4 of us. So I named the event Test Camp: Edicy to show what software is being Test Camped. In addition I talked with Development Manager from Webmedia for feedback for the idea. Again another wow moment in that meeting... He also thought it was a good idea and suggested to add another tester from Webmedia... This time I had to decline, since 5 persons in an event I originally planned for 3 would have meant double the participation... I didn't had much time to prepare anyway so I figured I can't handle that many people at that moment.

So... List of participants was locked, software to test chosen, date and time for start of the event agreed upon and location fixed. We decided to start in the morning of saturday the March 13 in my company's office on the border of Old Town of Tartu. After 7+ hours we decided to end since all of us had rough workweeks behind us and wanted some rest. We were mentally exhausted and literally physically tired because of this event. But it was a success... Even for me though I couldn't try out not even as much as third of the new methology I wanted... We found total of 72 issues in just 7 hours, people got to know each other better and learned probably several nice new tricks how to generate better test ideas.

Test Camp's verdict for Edicy was: It works pretty well. So, Fraktal, keep up the good work!

I already have an idea for the next Test Camp as well and hopefully by then I can increase the amount of participants. Until next time and my thanks to Tanel, Madis and Rasmus. Without you, the event would have never been that much fun.

Testing exercises

Yesterday evening we had puzzle night and I got few good puzzle ideas for practicing testing. If you don't know the answers and want to solve them, don't google. instead contact me either by skype olivervilson or email oliver.vilson@hannas.ee and I'll help you solve them. Satisfaction of solving them is worth not googling for the answers.

1) A naked man is lying dead in the middle of the desert with a small wooden stick in his hand.

2) A man wakes up one night to get some water. After finishing his class of water, he turns off the light and goes back to sleep. The next morning he looks out the window, screams, and kills himself.

You have to find out what happened by only asking yes/no questions and I answer either yes, no or not relevant.

3) Businessman wearing expensive suit is on one side of the river. There is a trainstation on another side. He has to get to a train that leaves in 15 minutes. He lights up a cigarette and is not worried about missing his train. There are no bridges or boats nearby and he can't jump across the river. Why isn't he worried?

I posted them was because I consider that to evaluate whether or not person is smart, you can't use mathematical questions. Math is just one skill and if you posess this skill you can solve most of mathematical questions with ease. But real life doesn't tend to be filled with mathematical solutions. These puzzles demand you to ask questions and create more questions from answers you get. I see it as more closer to real life situations.

I consider testing as asking questions. Sometimes you get reasonable answer but often (especially if logs don't give enough answers) you might have to settle with yes/no replies (works/crashes/some data is wrong) from system. And then you have to know how to ask more questions in order to move forward.

So if you want to solve some puzzles (don't google ;)) then feel free to contact me.
Hopefully I find more puzzles to post here.