BWST-1

2-5-09 Bangalore.
A lucky day for me, to personally meet some well-known personality of testing field.
Yes, you guessed it right I am talking about the BWST-1 conference held in Bangalore.
I had a great time out there in matter meeting people, learning, understanding testing, problems faced by testers etc…
I apologies for the delay in posting about BWST-1, actually the learning from this conference was equal to a big pool (of knowledge) and to write about my understanding from this pool it’s some what equal to catch a fish bare handed.
Anyways, following is my experience for/in BWST-1.

The day began with a general introduction between all presented (15) testers. Introduction was pretty much important to know each other [and to target people easily :-) (just kidding)]

India’s first ever Software testing conference BWST-1 was attended by, Ajay Balamurugadas, Aishwarya D Shukla, Guruprasad, Manjunath, Rahul Verma, Rahul Mirakhur, Shrini Kulkarni, Manoj Nair, Ravisurya, Santhosh Tuppad, Raghu Sahay, Sharath Byregowda, Pradeep Soundararajan and off course ME.

We were given three color cards 1. Red 2. Green 3. Blue.
Red- to stop every one and you speak your point.
Green- to add some interesting point.
Blue- to start a new thread.
Being our first time, using these cards were a bit confusing task but, after a while everybody started understanding the basic fundas of how to use these cards.

Moving on to presentations,
Presenter - Ajay Balamurugadas, Topic - Rapid Software Testing (changing the way of testing).
Ajay’s experience is experienced by almost all fresh testers, he says when he was new organization gave a template and set of test case which had to be executed nothing else, no other conditions or no other thoughts to be executed.
A new one has to follow this orders but, he didn’t found thing working so what he did is except those test cases, tried a different angle of testing, exploratory testing and unbelievably error/bug flowed like running water.
[Now, it doesn’t mean that only change in angle (exploratory testing) bought these error/bugs but, it’s a tester who should understand his perfect angle and utilize it in a correct direction.] Target achieved but, when testers achieve their target questions raise and that is what happened, now ajay communicated and tried to explain every one how/why error/bugs generated.
There after, ajay became the bug hunter of his organization. (Everybody wanted a piece of ajay for testing)
Nice move isn’t it?
Moral of this presentation-
1. Always move in a direction in which you are perfect.
2. Communicate or stand only when you have enough evidence to prove something.
(Detail description and discussion of this presentation click here)


Presenter - Manoj Nair, Topic - An attempt for better testing.
Manoj’s experience was all about testing a product in every direction which was really appreciated in his organization but, slowly and some how a problem created of managing data. Sometime questions rose to him saying how to manage data and what mode of presentation would be better. This was a real time question for testers. Manoj found solution for him, which is session based test management.
A question rose in between this presentation – Limits of data providing after which it becomes an overflow of data (by- Aishwarya)
This actually gave a different angle for the discussion, according to me this question is yet unanswered.
Moral of this presentation-
Data’s are meant for informing you only if, you manage them.


Presenter - Manjunath, Topic - Review of Bug Reports.
Frankly speaking first few minutes were bouncer for me coz I didn’t get the idea of reviewing the bug report.
Then slowly slowly when manjunath shared his experience that time my ideas got cleared actually then I understood the real purpose of reviewing a bug report.
Shrini sir explained me or you can say gave examples on this topic. (While walking towards the restro for lunch)
Now, I think reviewing the bug report is something which every tester should practice.


Presenter - Rahul Verma, Topic - Confession of a Fallible Tester.
What a presenter? Seriously he reminded me, my graduations first presentation but, his presentation was more professional kind off, amazing presentation.
Rahul verma didn’t present a way of testing instead he presented his mistakes which taught testing to him.
One of his experience:- In one of his assignments rahul’s senior gave him a tool and said use this tool for testing coz this is the best tool existing. He accepted that and tested with that tool but simultaneously he use to search reasons which makes this tool tagged best tool.
He shared his experiences with us which were more than a motivating presentation.
Rahul’s presentation didn’t taught how to test but he taught to learn from your mistakes
Can any one motivate you to make mistakes, rahul did seriously speaking, this presentation charged me to make more mistakes only if, I learn from it.
Moral of this presentation-
Nobody can educate you unless and until you want to learn.


Presenter - Rahul Mirakhur, Topic - Career in testing.
Rahul presented two questions why testing and why not testing. He gave out quite a few example how he tackle people with a question why testing.
According to him each and every one is a tester and every one like to explore, which was very true.
People at a certain level in IT sector do nothing just manage the given task and while managing they do not get a chance to live or to do what they want to do. I think this actually happens in real world.
Then he talked about how earlier developers were forced to do testing which created this mental blockage.
People have created a mental block either they live with it or leave it.
Moral of this presentation-
Every negative side has a positive angle for someone.



Presenter - Shrini Kulkarni, Topic - Test Automation, mindset, skill and people.
Seriously guys, I found him a pool of knowledge covered with a small brain.
Shrini discussed about his experiences in automation testing, meeting different people with different mind set plus with different skills.
What I learn from him,
Test automation- automation is more than just scripting.
People – many with many ideas.
Skill- to working differently
Mindset- keep on changing your ideas.
Moral of this presentation-
Testing lost its real meaning when it was brought to India.


Presenter - Sharath Byregowda, Topic - Session Based Test Management.
He shared his experience as how he changed the way of testing and achieved something which was unknown or unexpected.
You must read his blog Here, this would give you a clear idea about how he tested a product with his team and managed to create great result in testing.
Moral of this presentation-
Do what ever you want but manage things to make you understand.


Clock slowly and steadily moved on to 6.00pm which was the indication of stop.
Being very frank I was exhausted just because testing was more than testing out there was more than my expectations but, enjoyed it truly.
We ended up our BWST-1 conference on a good note- promising to be back soon.
On that note we left the premises to enjoy the evening out in Bangalore we went to a mall, to fill in up some food stuff. The process of hanging out got carried out for 3 hours and around 9.00pm we left towards are respective places.

Traveling Bombay to Bangalore...

This post is truly dedicated to all the new members I met, while traveling to Bangalore.
Firstly, I would like to thanks Raghu Sahay from Pune for joining me in my journey, and without him this event of Bangalore would have been a difficult task for me. And thanks to testing which added new friends in my life.

Getting back into flashback, my journey began at 11.00am from Bombay, I had to catch a train from Pune (to Bangalore) so caught a bus to pune. While traveling in bus, (to pune)
I was accompanied by a sweet woman, woman because I thought she was married but after some chat I discovered that she is yet a girl (unmarried) now you must be thinking what made me believe that she is married woman actually, that girl had a great perception about our Indian culture which usual girl wouldn’t talk about, difference between different mindset all this topic prior to my discover made me believe that she is married, which was very wrong. You know guys what I appreciate the most about that girl, she is working even though her dad is at one of the precious post in government. Keeping that in mind and supporting her own self esteem, she’s working Great isn’t it ?

Now, I am feeling proud to be an Indian because mindsets are changing.
We shared lots of information, thoughts and views. Thanks to that girl else my journey would have been a great bore for me.

I met raghu who was waiting at the Pune station. Unfortunately, are tickets were not confirmed and we were hopeless coz while booking our tickets we got a waiting nos. 100 but, at that point of time are current status was 3 you cannot imagine how bad that nos. 3 was for us. We felt so bad, we left behind by just 3 seats.

For few minutes we thought lets get back to our respective homes. But then, raghu approached me and said do you like adventure, I: Yes. Raghu: so let go adventure is waiting for us and pointed towards the train filled with people (summer vacations).
You know guys we even tried the mode of corruption towards TTE to pull out at least one seat but, traveling without seats was our destiny. So, NO seats yaks.
From that point we began our search, search for little space, some extra space where in we both can place are head. Believe me, I was horrified because journey of 18 hours and no confirm seats (this was my first time).

After a long discussion finally our journey began and some how we managed to settle down. After few minutes our good time started, start to end of the journey we traveled, with all the royalties what a prince has, kind words and the way we act or responded to people around us brought this change. You know guys what was the funniest part, we both were sleeping half way on some others seat without any argument (really great adventure). Some one has said it very truly “humans are always hungry to listen kind words”

Finally, we reached Bangalore. We decided to stay at Raghu’s friend’s house where in I met his 4 friends, these 4 guys were damn fantastic personalities I felt like meeting my friends after a long time.
Let me have the pleasure to introduce you these 4 guys.

1. Yogesh (puppy) 2. Vikas 3. Sid (piddi) 4. Cirag.

I found puppy and vikas as entertainer, I mean you’ll never feel bored if you are around these two. Talking about sid and cirag these two are the observer, they’ll always analysis you first what category you belong if you matched their mentality then boom lets have fun. You can say they had a supporting spirit, supporting each other. I have met many friend groups, friend circle many, but this was my best experience in my life and I wouldn’t forget these four friends in my life. Seriously, what a supporting spirit, hats off friends. Friends you’ll really rock together.

You might have seen friends fighting and breaking their friendship, these guys also fight but, the next morning its like yesterday was a night mare or a bad part or a hurdle which we have crossed successfully shake hands and move ahead, Great yaar, what an attitude.
I enjoyed a lot because it was like a dream because few guys don’t get a chance to live like this, I mean with friends and all. I am one of those unlucky guys.

Days went like cool breeze and we headed back to our home town.

OOPpss !! I forgot to tell you the main purpose of going to Bangalore. I was supposed to attend BWST-1 conference. A conference all about software testing, my next post will be on that and what I learnt from others presentation.

Met an Extremist

19-3-2009

A Beautiful day in pune and was a perfect day for me, coz on this date I was gone meet my first date in pune (with Mr. Pradeep Soundararajan) an ‘Extremist’. Believe me guys he is the biggest extremist I have ever met in my life (yet).

Now, what makes me use the word ‘Extremist’ for Mr. Pradeep?
Mr. Pradeep is the limit of software testing, a package of huge experience loaded with lots knowledge. (Most of you who had a chance to sip a cup of coffee with him will totally agree with me.)

Coming back to my experience, it was really my luck and Mr. Pradeep’s generosity which made pune much more interesting.
Earlier to this meeting we had never seen each other, just the mailing process was on between us.
Now, we humans have a human tendency to make a sketch of a person whom we speak to or mail to (through their responses). I too had a sketch of Mr. Pradeep, a person with some 6’.6’’ height with some tremendous physic and would have a touch of attitude but, believe me it was a shock to me coz he was just the opposite, he was so cool, so calm and the best thing was no attitude. I found him as a friend, a friend whom I had met after a long time.

After 15-20 min we stepped out of the hotel room, in search of a restaurant. We both were new to pune so we took a help from the hotel watchmen and he told us about a restaurant which was about a kilometer (1km) from the hotel. The best part for me was, Pradeep Soundararajan decided to walk WOW!
The whole journey was about 20 min and this 20 min was like great coz sir (Mr. Pradeep) was sharing his stories (his first job, how he became the test lead and many more…). The stories were full of inspiration and this +vibes had charged me up, at that time if some one would have told me to climb Mount Everest then I would have done that in minutes. Great isn’t it?

This journey of 20 min finally got us into a restaurant. After placing some starters he made me do an exercise. The exercise was all about the conversation between a client and a tester where in, I the client who was suppose to narrate the requirement for a product and sir was the testers (cross questioning my requirement). The product was dinner, I mean requirements for the dinner. Truly speaking there were so many requirements flying and if these requirements were communicated with a normal consumer, and asked to consider all those points while placing an order believe me, he would never visit a hotel.

While the activity was on two gentlemen joined us. These two gentlemen were Raghu and Venkat two senior testers from pune. From that point of time the discussion started heating up it was like fireworks from both the table ends. After some hours, I noticed one thing that sir had different views with many dimensions for a single point, like we say every coin has two faces some what like that. On the other hand, sir was enjoying the fight between three mice which were sitting right in front of his nose.

The round of discussions continued for 4 hours some what around 11.30pm. We were about to round up everything, being a fresher thought this would be a right time to ask sir for last few words of suggestion (for me).
Can you imagine what sir would have told me (those three magical words)
“Best Of Luck”.
I interrupted him and said, I was expecting some thing else.
Sir: if you were expecting some thing which you know, then why there is a need of asking me.
This was very true.
And left for home/hotel.

The End…

Last few things…
Mr. Pradeep is a true extremist, a self motivating machine, a big charger and a visionary who can lead the Indian testers on a right track. You can say Mr. Pradeep should be the bookmark or benchmark for Indian testers.
OOPPS…
I forgot one thing to mention, while our discussion was on sir got a call from his wife at that point of time a random thought ran to my mind saying…
What a lucky lady (Mam), just bcoz she spends more time with sir as compared to what we had spend… (Just 4hours).