Testing tunes

Sometimes it is possible to draw inspiration for your testing from strange places. It is also possible to find meaning in art that wasn't there when the creator let it out into the world. Recently I had both of those moments at the same time.

One of my favourite musicians of all time is English folk punk troubadour Frank Turner. His new studio album Be More Kind is scheduled from release at the beginning of May and as such he's started building some hype and releasing some of the songs. So, I was listening to one of the newly released songs, the title track in fact.

I wasn't thinking about testing at all when I was listening to it. I'd already heard this song half a dozen times before but this time one of the lines jumped out at me.

'So before you go out searching, don't decide what you will find.
Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind.'

I know that Software Testing isn't what Frank was talking about when he wrote these words but it instantly struck me as a good motto for exploratory testing. I've been talking about exploratory testing quite a bit over the last month, both in work and at Software Testing Clinic (http://www.softwaretestingclinic.com). As a result maybe of having it on my mind, this just seemed to fit somehow.

So whilst not looking for any related meaning, what I found unexpectedly was a good strategy for your approach to testing, and it was two connected ideas:

1. Before you go out testing, try to be aware of cognitive biases. (So before you go out searching, don't decide what you will find.) 
2. Be kind to the people around you who have made the product. Be sensitive of other people's feelings, even if it's hard, just try. (Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind.)

To start with, try go into your testing with an open mind of what you'll find. It could bring you some interesting, important discoveries. Also, don't assume the worst of your colleagues. Of course, the last six times you got a build on this project it was riddled with issues, but this time it might be better, be positive towards it. You never know what this change in approach will result in, new things you'd never noticed.

Software testing can sometimes been quite combative even if just in the way people talk about what they're doing. So is this not a useful thing to remind yourself, to be kind to others? It is easy for us to forget the human element of a system when we find problems in a design, an idea or a piece of software. Someone has put effort into making it, and that they may be emotionally invested in it's success. It can be useful to remember this when providing feedback on what you've tested and what you've uncovered.

I suppose the thing that I'm really trying to say is, take a kindness into the way you approach your testing. Sure, be ruthless in your quest to uncover unknown risks but be respectful to the people you encounter and those it affects. Assume that everyone has done their best and be nice to people regardless of what you find.

It's worth saying that some people may say "Dave, that's rich coming from you." To those people I would respond, "I know that, but if it was something I already thought I was good at I wouldn't need a musical reminder." I may also say: he says 'TRY to be more kind' , so it might not be easy, but you should try anyway.

Anyway, those are my words for you today.

'So before you go out searching, don't decide what you will find.
Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind.'

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I'd love comments on the other strange places people have found inspiration for their testing.
Also, if anyone would like to correct any of my grammar in this, please just comment below and I'll edit it. I found this post difficult to get right for some reason.