I want to follow up on what I said about discipline in yesterday's post. I said that discipline is "motivation without reason." I stand by that, as far as it goes, but there's more to discipline than … [Read more...] about Self-Discipline Redux
Language
Terminologizing and Danger Words
I just read this on another blog: "Regression testing is usually seen as the poorer cousin of 'proper' domain-abstracted assertion-based testing. Often rightly so!" In twenty years of doing … [Read more...] about Terminologizing and Danger Words
Unambiguous Definition
I found this gem in the FDA Glossary of Computerized System and Software Development Terminology: "unambiguous. (1) Not having two or more possible meanings. (2) Not susceptible to different … [Read more...] about Unambiguous Definition
Francis Bacon’s New Organon
It would be an unsound fancy and self-contradictory to expect that things which have never yet been done can be done except by means which have never yet been tried. This reminds me of that … [Read more...] about Francis Bacon’s New Organon
A Question About Test Strategy
Maria writes: A) Your presentation Test Strategy: "What is it? What does it look like?" applies to creating a test strategy for a specific application (I've also read Ingrid B. Ottevanger's article … [Read more...] about A Question About Test Strategy
“Intuition” and “Common Sense” Considered Harmful
Sometimes, you can improve your thinking just by avoiding using certain terms. I stopped using "best practice", years ago. When I am tempted to use the term in a serious discussion of methodology, I … [Read more...] about “Intuition” and “Common Sense” Considered Harmful
Who Stole Agile?
Brian Marick complains about people, like me, who prefer to use dictionary definitions of words such as agile, instead of capitalizing the word and using it as a brand name, as he does. Read his blog … [Read more...] about Who Stole Agile?
Defining Agile Methodology
Brian Marick has offered a definition of agile methodology. I think his definition is strangely bulky and narrow. That's because it's not really a definition, but an example. Those of us who've … [Read more...] about Defining Agile Methodology
Some Useful Definitions
I use the following. I find these definitions to be flexible, inclusive, and consistent with the dictionary: Technique: method. Method: a way of doing something; an idea or ideas that specify … [Read more...] about Some Useful Definitions
Peer Conferences and Learning
In the past two years, "Peer conference" and "exhibition conference" are terms I've come to use a lot. A peer conference is a get together among practitioners of a particular discipline for the … [Read more...] about Peer Conferences and Learning