π₯§ Pie mail - illustrated edition
Hi Reader, time for another piping hot slice of pie mail!
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As requested, pie mail now contains 100% more cartoons! I have no idea what this will do to the formatting though - I hope it works, if it doesn't, let me know and I'll... fix it somehow.
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Anyway, onward! Hope you're all having a great week!
β¨ Some interesting links β¨
Raygun panel on prioritizing customer experience
I like Raygun. Mostly because it's a great exception reporting tool, but as an organisation they do cool things too. Like this panel discussion featuring some leaders from the NZ tech industry. It's a long video, and they clearly had some sound issues, but it's worth persevering, there's some really good conent.
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Getting started with mind maps
Mind maps are a great tool for visualising testing. Sam Connelly has put together a neat article about mind maps, and where they add value. I'd recommend taking a look!
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The automationist's gambit
I must be the only person in the world who didn't like the new Netflix show, The Queen's Gambit. However, Maaret PyhΓ€jΓ€rvi has taken a concept from the show and applied it to testing, calling it The Automationist's Gambit.
Now this I like! She exploring the duality of automation and exploration, and how you can't really have one or the other. It's a good article, check it out!
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Javascript operator lookup
If you, like me, keep forgetting the difference between "==" and "===", then Josh W. Comeau's Javascript Operator Lookup tool is one you'll want to bookmark!
π This week I learned... π
β¦that an electrician friend of mine is a tester! And neither of us knew it!
I met up with an old friend of mine. He's an electrician by trade, so I was taken aback when he mentioned in passing that he was building an iPhone app!
What he actually meant was that his organisation has contracted someone to build iPhone app. It's an app for electricians to use while working, to help them with things like compliance. When the developers have a new build ready, they get my friend to install it on his phone. He then takes it out on the job and tries to use it.
He's testing!
It sounded like a really good way to test an app like this. In his own words, my friend explained to me that the developers didn't always know the real world cases where an app like this would be useful. They also aren't always aware of the complicated compliance requirements.
So, he uses it on their behalf, and sends back any recommendations or issues he finds.
It was a reminder for me that there's really no substitute for feedback from real users of your software.
As a tester, do you have contact with your customers? How do you get feedback from the users of your product? If you've got any good stories, let me know!
𧩠Puzzle time π§©
Check out this dialog box... it's... confusing (at least, it is to me).
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One of the biggest challenges in testing is using words to explain why something needs to be changed or fixed.
So - the puzzle for this week, is not just to state what is wrong with this dialog, but to explain why it is wrong!
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Send me your answers, I'll publish the best one in the next edition of pie-mail!
Cartoon is not related to the puzzle at all FYI
πͺ Events coming up πͺ
It's that time of year! There's a ton of things happening!
TestBash (November 20) and TestFlix (November 28)
I've mentioned these in previous newsletters, but one more time for the new subscribers!
βTestBash NZ is only a few days away, and TestFlix isn't far behind. I'm honored to be part of both of them! If you haven't sorted out your registrations yet, get moving!
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OnlineTestConf (December 1-3)
βOnlineTestConf is happening again, from December 1-3. There's cool things happening in different timezones, so there should be something to suit you, and it's free!
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HolidayBash (December 5 (NZT))
Ministry of Testing are known for pushing the boundaries of creativity with their events, so it's no surprise that they're doing HolidayBash. It seems like an end-of-year testing themed online Christmas party - with a lot of different fun activities happening. I'm just glad to see that they'll be playing Among Us at a time that works for my timezone!
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Applitools Holiday Shopping Hackathon (entries open from now until December 7)β
βApplitools are holding another hackathon! Use Applitools to perform some visual regression tests, and win prizes! There's a bunch of detailed instructions on their website. I entered their last hackathon and won a prize, this time they're giving away iPhones and Playstations. So of course I'm entering again. You should too! Start today!
π Thanks for reading! π
Thanks all! I hope you enjoyed this weeks email as much as I enjoyed putting it together.
Please reply to this email with any suggestions or feedback, I love hearing from you!
As always, I'm on LinkedIn or Twitter, too.
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Cheers,
James a.k.a. JPie π₯§
βhttps://jpie.nzβ
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Hi, Iβm a creator
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