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    The Neophyte Tester

    One of my unspoken New Year’s resolutions was to not start any new blogs. I’m addicted to starting new blogs – sadly I’m not that committed to writing content for them. So I decided that I wanted to blog about software testing. Being a newbie I wanted a place to put my thoughts, experiences, etc – hence the reason for the new category Neophyte Tester.

    Right now I am doing a lot of functional testing but hope to branch out in some direction. This I’m not sure which direction to go. I figure I will do some research and decide which area appeals to me.

    Each month I also plan to read at least one book on software testing and one on development. This month I bought Beautiful Testing: Leading Professionals Reveal How They Improve Software that is so far pretty interesting. It almost seems like a book you would give someone who wants to understand testers and their role. But it is good for me since I’m so new to the testing field. I haven’t decided on which development book I want to buy although I’m leaning towards something to do with Android.

    My regular job is changing. We are implementing a new software project and saying goodbye to the one in development. It’s bittersweet since I was drawn to this job for the testing aspect but also excited about being part of the implementation team for this new product that will also have plenty of testing opportunities.

    My freelance job is going great. I’m getting a lot of good experience with testing and I can tell that what I’ve learned from it is helping me at my full-time job. And with my freelance job I have been making some extra money – which is awesome considering I just wanted a chance to test and not too worried about getting paid. But the pay is great and makes me think that I could do this part-time making good money.

    Posted in: Neophyte Tester  |  By admin  |  January 25, 2012 at 2:45 pm
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    Shortcuts

    Ever since Red Riding Hood took a shortcut to Grandma’s house, we have learned that maybe shortcuts are not the best solution to a problem. Still shortcuts are very alluring. They will save us time, money, etc. But shortcuts can also backfire – leading to spending more time and money to fix a quick solution.

    A recent shortcut fix at work did fix one problem but created many more. It was a quick fix but the ramifications of solving a problem in that manner were not taken into account. Therefore, we will now have an on-going issue to fix this shortcut. Oh the joy.

    While shortcuts are tempting especially in our situation where doing the fix manually would have taken a few hours. The good news would have been that once it was done the right way, it is done – no more dealing with the issue. As it stands now, we will have to call support when this issue arises in the future. Having this problem will hopefully make us think twice before taking a shortcut to fix a software problem.

    Posted in: General  |  By admin  |  January 25, 2012 at 12:50 pm
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    How Not Getting a Job Changed My Life

    Ok, that may be a little dramatic to say that not getting a job changed my life but in a way it did. A year ago, I applied for a job that I desperately wanted – mainly because I wanted a job. I needed a job and was hungry to return to work. After not getting this job, I bitched and moaned about said job for quite some time.

    Now that I reflect on that job, I know that it wasn’t right for me but did lead me to a rewarding career. How is that possible if I didn’t get the job you might ask? Well, I will try to explain. See, the job was in software testing – something that sounded interesting to me. I had beta tested games before and absolutely love it so I knew that I would enjoy testing software. What I didn’t know is what testing software really meant. Sure, I figure it meant using unfinished software and looking for what doesn’t work. But beyond that, I really didn’t have a clue and it showed in the interview. I thought of software testing as a way in with this company and that I should aspire to be something other than a tester. Now I see the error in my ways of thinking.

    Software testers are not developers looking to gain experience and to get in with a company. They are doing a job – one that requires it’s own special skills and talents. This I have learned since taking a job as a tester. I no longer believe that software testing is just a stepping stone to something else. Also I’m glad I am learning software testing through my own ventures than through a company’s. This way I will be exposed to more opinions, methodologies, etc.

    So even though I was sad that I didn’t get that job last year, it worked out for the best – in fact better than I could have imagined. Finally I am doing work that I love again.

    Posted in: Career  |  By admin  |  January 24, 2012 at 9:37 am
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    Greeting Cards

    Saturday I went to my great nephew’s two year birthday party. He shares a birthday with his grandfather who is my brother. Also my niece – my brother’s daughter and my great nephew’s Mom – had a birthday two days before. So that is three family birthdays in two days. I picked out my nephew a gift and got the other two a card.

    My niece’s card was easy to pick out. I went to the niece section and found a card that complimented her that then complimented me. For example, you are so pretty, nice, and sweet but that is because you get it from me. Har har har. I love those types of cards. So her card was easy to find but my brother’s was a little more difficult.

    At first I thought of going with a fart birthday card – you know a card that has something to do with farts. These are his favorite cards in fact he got me the same fart birthday card for my birthday two years in a row. The only fart joke card I could find was a thick card that had a fart poem that was eight pages long. EIGHT pages! Wow. I could finish my Steve Jobs book by the time it took me to finish reading and eight page poem on farts. Deciding that was way too much for a fart joke, I pressed on until I found a card.

    The card I did choose was funny – it was funny on several levels so I felt compelled to write in the card the reasons I thought it was funny. I thought that would make it even funnier. I also did it in case he opened it when I wasn’t around. That way he would know why I chose it although it was pretty obvious why the card is funny.

    I also picked out my nephew a card which he wasn’t nearly as excited as I was over it. It was Spongebob – whom he loves – singing Happy Birthday.

    I will have a break from birthday card buying for the rest of the month but will have a few to buy in February. My other brother’s birthday is in March – so maybe I will find a better fart birthday card before then.

    Posted in: Family  |  By admin  |  January 17, 2012 at 2:12 pm
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    High Maintenance

    At the end of 2011, we had about $300 left in our flexible spending account which we decide to use on me a new pair of eyeglasses. My new prescription is not that much stronger than my current one but since we had this one to use or lose, I got a new pair of glasses.

    Now I’m the opposite of high maintenance. I hardly ever wear make-up and even yesterday I came to work without brushing my hair. But when it comes to eye wear, I am extremely critical. I wear my glasses all the time so I want a pair that is both comfortable and looks good on my face.

    I found a pair of frames that I liked. They are wire – which I haven’t had a pair of wire frames in quite some time. When I got the glasses back, I tried wearing them. I was slightly dizzy and my eyes were extremely tired after wearing them for a few hours. That is ok. My eyes are just adjusting so I tried wearing the glasses the next day. The dizziness stopped but the metal glasses are hard to get used to. In fact, I thought about taking them back altogether. I may give them another week and if I still cannot wear them, I will take them back.

    I kind of hope that I can get used to them because I do like the frames.

    Posted in: General  |  By admin  |  January 11, 2012 at 11:45 am
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    Blogging Style

    Now that I am maintaining eight blogs, I feel that I need a solid blogging plan so each blog has new content each week. My blogging style has always been ‘fly by night’ – when I have an idea, I blog about it. I have tried doing a blog calendar and blogging ahead but with never much success.

    Since my blogs represent my interests, some days I like to talk about more interest better than the other. It makes it really hard to be consistent and have new content each week. Still if I want to be a better blogger/writer in 2012, then I must find a system that works for me.

    From what I’ve learned in 2011 about my blogging style is that I blog better when I am alone. It is very hard for me to blog on weekends/evenings when the whole family is home. I just can’t concentrate. Also I really enjoy writing in a very casual voice – like I am talking to a friend. Punctuation is probably horrid on most posts but thanks to spellcheck spelling should be pretty good. I also hate editing – which is ironic since I used to be an editor sort of when I worked in television. It is way easier to pick apart someone else’s work than it is your own.

    My biggest blogging challenges are finding time to myself. When I have a moment, I may want to read, crochet, or just do nothing. Blogging means getting on the computer which means checking email, Facebook, etc. So that post that will take 15 minutes now will take 45 minutes to an hour.

    So moving forward in 2012 I need to take what I learned about my blogging style and use it. I will post when I have something to say but will try very hard to say something at least twice a week. I will use more images and start my own personal stock photography from my photos. Small goals for now. If I get to hitting those regularly, then I will be more ambitious.

    Posted in: Blogging  |  By admin  |  January 5, 2012 at 9:37 am
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    A New Year, A New Blog

    Well not for me but for my husband. Last night he set up a new writing blog. He does game reviews and other writing on his other blogs. This new blog will be whatever else strikes his fancy – probably fiction. As he was telling me how much fun he had setting up his new WordPress blog, he mentioned how he would like to get paid to do that for others. To which I responded, people do get paid to set up blogs.

    In that moment I realized that while that is true, I wouldn’t know how to offer that service or where to begin. So I’ve added a new goal for 2012 – learn more about freelancing that is beyond writing. I have been so focused on writing that I have tuned out other ventures but this year I plan to add one or two income streams that are new.

    A new blog is always fun. It renews an interest in blogging that is for sure. So starting the year off with a new blog is a good start.

    Posted in: Blogging  |  By admin  |  January 3, 2012 at 2:14 pm
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    “D” Day

    2012 is quickly approaching and with it new goals for the brand new year. One goal of mine is to finish losing this extra weight. 2011 I lost about 30 pounds but still have at least 20 to go. I have been off the dieting wagon and will climb aboard Tuesday, January 3rd since I do not like to start dieting on Monday.

    I will be going back on Atkins since it works so well for me. Hopefully with exercise and dieting, I can lost the rest of this weight in six months.

    Dieting is not fun but I am ready to start losing weight again. Plus I’ve eaten enough sweets lately that my taste buds are looking forward to a break.

    Posted in: Dieting  |  By admin  |  December 30, 2011 at 8:16 am
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    Cursing

    On our way to lunch today, my husband asks me why does it makes us feel better to curse? After a few minutes of discussion – mainly on tangents – we came to the conclusion that it’s not just cursing when you are frustrating but saying it in such a manner that releases tension. So yeah, basically you are yelling. That is why it feels good – not necessarily the cursing aspect of it.

    I’m not a big curser. I curse in traffic and when I stump my toe. That’s the majority of my cursing but on occasion a curse word leaves my lips without me thinking about it. Luckily the six-year-old doesn’t repeat what she’s heard but she also tells me that words like stupid are ‘bad’ words – which I guess they are but not ‘bad’ curse words. Of course she thinks nothing of dropping the sentence, “what the hell?” That is totally on her Daddy as he loves that phrase and says it a lot.

    I do try to watch what I say and what we watch on TV around the girl. I get so mad at cable TV shows that use cursing ‘just because’ they can. Most of the times the curse words add nothing to the script. Burn Notice was so bad it’s first season to use a lot of cursing. Now you seldom hear a curse word on the show.

    Sometimes cursing just says so much more and can make you feel instantly better. But then I always feel a little guilty. Then I remember what my grandfather told me when I was learning to drive. Sometimes (while driving) you just have to cuss (at other people, out of frustration). Cursing does help. It relieves stress and conveys your mood/thoughts a lot faster than a lot of words.

    Posted in: General  |  By admin  |  December 28, 2011 at 1:36 pm
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    Deleting Kindle Fire Apps

    So, Wednesday night we our yearly Christmas dinner with friends. Each year we get together at Christmas and usually share what we’ve bought or learned during the year. It’s like adult show and tell. New computers, phones, tablets, any books read, etc. are all on the table for discussion.

    This year I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas. Well really I got it November 21st – way before Christmas. So I am showing the apps section when wouldn’t you know my friends spot the one app that my husband shamefully – and regretfully – bought, The Playboy app. Yes, Playboy has an app and it is not very good. Not a lot of nudity – so my husband is completely disinterested in it. Maybe it has good articles because they are really famous for that. But it shows up on my Fire in the cloud. He bought it for his tablet and I have never downloaded (and will ever download) for my Fire. But ofcourse this is the one app that my friends notice and get a good chuckle from. It was a little embarrassing and made me wonder just how do you get rid of unwanted apps from your Fire?

    Since this app is something that my husband cares nothing about, I didn’t mind if it was permanently deleted – which is a good thing since that seems to be the only way to remove apps from the cloud. I logged into my Amazon account, manage apps, and clicked the options beside the app in question. There is an option to delete the app. I did click it and got a warning that I may have to re-buy it or may not be able to use it if I continue. I clicked on through and now the app is gone.

    This could be a good way to get rid of free apps that you install but do not care for. I am not sure I would do it with another paid app unless I just really didn’t like it. Amazon may add this feature in future updates to the Fire. It would be nice to be able to hide it from the cloud. At least there is a way to get rid of it although it’s permanent.

    Posted in: Kindle  |  By admin  |  December 27, 2011 at 8:53 am
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