Very humbled to be included with this incredible group of people, but very happy the team is getting the recognition they deserve…

Really enjoyed this panel session talking about all things test automation with Angie Jones, Bas Dijkstra, Paul Grizzaffi, and Ashley Hunsberger. Check us out discussing managing business expectations, what to look for in test automation engineers, planning for maintenance and playing a couple rounds of “Rate that Vendor Claim”. Enjoy!

Had a great time talking about testing and “Rocky” at TestBash Philly with the guys from Screen Testing! Yo Adrian – enjoy!

Another trip to Philly, another TestBash in the can. I’ve been to my share of TestBash’s, and am always impressed with what these folks have built up over the years. They feel to me to be more of a community event these days than a technology conference, but maybe that’s a good thing. I’ve toyed with the idea of taking another extended break from testing conferences as it seems to me the explosion of meet ups, hackathons, and conferences has started to fall to Jerry Weinbergs law of raspberry jam – “The wider you spread it, the thinner it gets.” But then again, it may just be that I’m “old and grumpy“. 

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Back for part two of our discussion, is my good friend, Michael Bolton. Michael has been consulting and training people on software testing all over the world and is the co-author with James Bach of Rapid Software Testing. Join us as we talk about training testers, community leadership, and common problems all testers face. Enjoy!

You did it!

Thanks to all of you and the incredible people at Agile Testing Days, we’ve raised nearly TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS to send the Afghan Girls Robotics team to Germany! The generosity of the ATD organization has met any financial gaps we were unable to raise through the GoFundMe page. As well, the unbelievable people at Sauce Labs and Anne-Marie Charrett made substantial donations to meet the goal. But most importantly, all of you made this possible. Thank you for your generosity, support, and general awesomeness.

While in Berlin, the team will get full access to the conference, tutorials, and networking events. They will have the opportunity to showcase their project and  Roya Mahboob is going to give a keynote on her work supporting technology communities in developing countries. The team will also participate in the Women and Allies Evening Gathering, led by Anne-Marie, where they will get to network with women from all over the world and pair up with mentors to continue their relationships long after the conference is over.

I am still in awe of all the work that Roya and her Digital Citizen Fund do to support the Afghan tech community and budding technologist all over the world. She is truly an inspiration. There is still time to support the team, as any additional funds will be donated to education fund of Team Afghanistan Captain, Fatemah, whose father recently passed away in an attack in Herat. Finally, I would like to thank Jessica Rose, who first brought the team to my attention via social media and has been a source of inspiration and encouragement throughout the entire fundraising efforts.

Thank you for all your support and I look forward to meeting you all and the team in Potsdam!

Once again, my favorite software testing conference is BACK in the US at Philadelphia! Come to the city of “Brotherly Love”, chuck a cheesesteak down your gob and meet some of the brightest minds in our business…tickets are still available, so hope to see you there!

Hey everyone! Here’s a chance to support a great cause and have some fun with the software testing community! Check out the Ministry of Testing Calendar to support Linnea Nordsrom‘s treatment – my friends in NYC contributed a photo for one of the months. Please buy one today and as well, there are sponsorship possibilities! Thanks!

What more can I say about Michael Bolton. Michael has been consulting and training people in software testing all over the planet for as long as I’ve been in this business. When he’s not traveling around the world teaching Rapid Software Testing, he’s writing, speaking, and consulting about all things software quality. Check out the first half our our chat as we discuss all things testing! Enjoy!

I was extremely honored to be asked to take part in an initiative from Agile Testing Days called “#trustedfriends with Maaret Pyhajarvi and Gitte Klitgaard. As stated in its charter, the purpose of the group is to make sure there are safe channels to concerns, issues, and around the Code of Conduct at the conference. Aside from being humbled to be included in this project, I wanted to offer more of my perspective on this, and my commitment to those who seek us out. This is not a behavior policing exercise. My goal is to use my over 20 years of working through corporate HR issues to give an alternative, confidential, objective channel for questions and advice that is outside the conference committee. We will also be providing resources and more information that can be pursued if needed. I think this is a great step in the right direction for conferences and applaud the organizers of ATD for their initiative in starting this project. If you have any questions about the program or my participation, please reach out to me directly.

Writing, podcasting, running conferences, keynoting, workshops – is there anything Rob Lambert doesn’t make look “blazingly simple”? Check out the newest QR Podcast where Rob and I catch up on testing, moving into management, his new company Cultivated Management, and how to strike a balance in your career and life. Enjoy!

Register HERE for my workshop at Agile Testing Days…hope to see you there! 

Why is it so hard to talk about testing?

It feels like such a struggle every time we try to move the conversation beyond metrics, test coverage, tools and checklists… and yet management still does not get what we are doing and walks away shaking their head. The information created by skilled testing should be of immense value… how can it be so hard to describe our work? This can’t be that hard, can it? Surely it must be them… or… can it possibly be that we are the problem?

We will look at how we communicate with leaders and decision makers outside the world of testing. Using real world frustrations (that you bring to the workshop), we will discover how the very skills that make you an excellent tester can be leveraged to building linguistic bridges between groups who do not speak the same language.

The talent and value that you bring to your company should be something that you find very easy to sell to anyone who is passionate about achieving the corporate goals. In this workshop, we will discover how to change the conversation away from explaining why testing matters and towards how we are part of building opportunity for success.

Hey everyone! The QASymphony QualityJam is going on the road, so check out me, Tony Bruce, Elizabeth Zagroba, and all the cool kids from QAS in sunny London! Use the promo code: KeithFriends20 to get a “friend of Keith” discount! Hope to see you there! 

Sometimes you just get it right. Now, you can accuse me of bias because I was on the selection committee, but the program at Copenhagen Context was unbelievably good. Hats off to This whole gig was primed by organizer Morten Hougaard of PrettyGoodTesting, who seems to know a thing about running a conference. The entire affair ran seamlessly, and from my observations, I didn’t see even the usual “room problems” or tech mishaps, so well done!

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UPDATE

The response has been absolutely amazing, and everyone has been overwhelmed with the generosity of the community. We’ve raised over $5,000 so far, but are not yet at the goal of  $15,000. If you can help in any way, it would be very appreciated and we thank you for your support of this team and initiative. Thank you! – Keith, Roya, and the team at Agile Testing Days

The Afghan tech revolution is being led by Roya Mahboob and her Digital Citizen Fund, and this year she helped an all-girl robotics team from Herat compete in the First Global Challenge . The team had an incredible experience in Washington D.C. at the competition, and now the incredible people at Agile Testing Days have agreed to let the team present their project, participate in the conference, and network with technologist from all over the world.

So now we need your help!

We are raising the funds to send and host the team and coaches in Potsdam, Germany for the conference. As well, any additional funds will be donated to education fund of Team Afghanistan Captain, Fatemah, whose father recently passed away in an attack in Herat. This is a great opportunity to directly impact an important program, diversity in technology, and send a message of love and support to the global technology community.

Donations are being accepted through GoFundMe HERE. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!