I don’t write much on testing though I thoroughly love my job as a tester. For me testing is something more to do with my instinct to find defects and not theoretical at all. So it’s difficult to express it in words. Well, that doesn’t mean that I don’t use the available tools and methods. I do use them, but I am not too conscious about it when I apply them to my job.
Ok, that’s my 2 cents of philosophy on testing.
I got this habit of flipping news channels on tv while eating my king sized breakfast. Its more to do with starting the day watching the smiling, fresh beautiful face of news readers and less to do with the actual news that they blurt out at supersonic speed.
However, this news ignited that thousand volts bulb over my head. Guess what? It is to do with testing. Nay, not really. However, I tried my best to link it one way or the other. Believe me, I am good at this.
Well, to the topic.
Headlines: Rajiv Gandhi Setu inaugurated. Massive traffic jams on day one.
Wow. How many times have we come across a website, massively tested and on the day of production, boom. A massive traffic brings the entire server down. Now, that’s why we do the performance, load, stress, strain and whatever related testing.
I am sure the engineers designing the sea link would have done all the tests N number of times, but did they fail to involve the Mumbai traffic department to estimate this scenario wherein there could be a possibility of a traffic jam up to 3 kilometers on day 1?
Well there could be several reasons like, many of them got up this morning and got their car straight to this sea link only to be there and enjoy the moment and the monument. However, this scenario should have been well thought off prior to the inauguration.
What’s lacking here was the collaboration.
When we test an application or software, it is so much important to collaborate with different departments and stakeholders. As a tester it is not only important to have your imaginations in creating scenarios , it is also important to get inputs from other departments, directly and sometimes indirectly associated with the software or application.
Like a detective who builds scenarios by getting inputs from witness, forensic experts, background of victim, near future plans of victims and much more.
So, let the imagination flow, even if it goes beyond the scope of application and more importantly, keep the mind open to take as many inputs as possible from people around to build a strong scenario and fool proof application.
Headlines: A boat gets STUCK in between the two pillar of sea link
The police boat carrying nine gets caught in a fishing line between two pillars.
What? Well, that was my first reaction as well. They were all rescued with the help of helicopter.
2 points.
• 1. Again, there was no collaboration. The fishermen blame that the pillars are too close and their boats cannot pass through and might hit the pillars. Wow, this is a serious issue. The engineers have failed to collaborate. They were perhaps concentrating on more important things like wind, choppy waters and hard sea bed. But imagine the consequence of a boat hitting the pillar !!!
So, when you are given the responsibility to test a major application, don’t get all excited and narrow your mind to look at important scenario, but in addition to that, also look at the simple scenarios that could lead to major disastrous consequences.
Simple rule : Simple scenarios can catch big defects.
• 2. What about the security testing? How could they even allow the fishing line to be in between the pillars. As a matter of fact, imagine a boat crashing into sea link pillars. Well, must be very very strong pillar, but seriously, I would think twice even before allowing the boats to cross through. If that was absolutely and inevitable then they should have got a safety wall around the main pillar itself, thereby reducing the impact. I hope they have got it.
Also, consider the cost of getting a helicopter to rescue, every time some boat gets stuck down there.
So, you don’t have to be an expert to understand the security risks. Just build the simple scenario to break the security. DO NOT underestimate the simple security threat. It could cost more to have that risk than to totally eliminate it. A little bit of mischief while testing is better than millions of dollars lost during production. J
Headlines 3: Sea link named after Rajiv, Sena wants Savarkar’s name
Hmm. Very good. Common man’s money ($325 million) and 2 poltical parties fight for their names to be promoted. How neat? There were 150 engineers, 4000 workers, working and having 3 meals hanging from the wire at their work place. Why don’t you talk about them? Aren’t they the real heroes?
That was my first reaction. Why on earth should someone’s name be used for a sea link? Just say, ‘Bandra-Worli sea link’, you morons.
Well, I don’t have any gyan to take from here into testing.
By the way, do we do name testing? You know, to check which name suits best for the product. For example, if a new product is invented or being produced. Then, one can give it probable names and get the response from the consumers. Alpha & Beta Name testing.
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