TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Sounds similar to tech writing, where you might not be done writing the manual, but you ship it because you are told to. Such is real life.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Peter Neilson
Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 4:36 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Advice on software testing?
Here's a scenario that occasionally happens, and that should underlie any
test plan using unusual hardware:
- Tuesday: The sole beta-test version of the custom hardware device
promised for Monday is ready for you to begin testing. You've read the
specs and the code, and you have a plan. You have two weeks before it gets
taken away from you.
- Wednesday: You're revising the test plan to cover the new items you
discovered in the hardware and the latest changes to the software.
- Thursday: You begin actual testing, entering bugs into the reporting
system.
- Friday: Testing is going well. You report that you might be done well
within time frame.
- Monday: You discover that over the weekend the system was shipped out.
"We needed to make it billable."
- Tuesday: You try to get your boss to push through to a level of
management that can make the decision on what to do.
- Wednesday: The consequences of the decision now belong to you. Whether
you have to spend the next two months in Irkutsk, or test remotely over a
dial-up connection, or publish a lie that reports no bugs, it's not
something you want to own.
How do I know this stuff can happen? Kansas City is not quite Irkutsk, but
I'd not planned to be debugging software on a machine sitting on a factory
floor. On the other hand, we did discover that the SCR-controlled forklift
trucks created electrical noise that crashed the custom device. Nothing in
the original specs had anticipated that problem.
On Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:11:28 -0400, Cardimon, Craig <ccardimon -at- m-s-g -dot- com>
wrote:
> The guy I'm going to be working with will be contacting me. He's one of
> the senior support dudes. I work with him when I'm wearing my tech
> writer hat.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Swallow [mailto:techcommdood -at- gmail -dot- com]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 3:10 PM
> To: Cardimon, Craig
> Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Advice on software testing?
>
> Do you have a testing/QA group where you work? If so and you'll be
> joining, talk to them. Otherwise many good suggestions made so far.
> But collaborate with development, and never test without a plan.
>
> On Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 2:35 PM, Cardimon, Craig <ccardimon -at- m-s-g -dot- com>
> wrote:
>> My manager told me I'm going to be adding software testing to my
>> repertoire. Any suggestions for a newbie software tester?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help.
Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try
Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days. http://www.doctohelp.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as ccardimon -at- m-s-g -dot- com -dot-
Information contained in this e-mail transmission is privileged and confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, do not read, distribute or reproduce this transmission (including any attachments). If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the sender by telephone or email reply.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help.
Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try
Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days. http://www.doctohelp.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
