Load Testing:The team discussed it and we decided not to.
I'm working on this great team but I found out yesterday that the question of load testing came up, and the answer the team came up with was, "Thank you, no."
Huh? No?
I'm trying to phrase this correctly and instead of: Since we know it is so well designed that it is going to hold up, how about we throw twice our worst reasonable fears at it just once and if no issues are found at just twice the worst case scenario I promise the next day I'll come in wearing a t-shirt that says on it, "My paranoid tester thinking cost the company time and money. I made useless testing happen!" and on the back it can say, "I was WRONG, so wrong, and it isn't the first or last time either!"
I'm thinking a calm question of: Why did you decide it wasn't needed? is the more professional response.
Now I'm going to go home and have nightmares of people saying, "Testing? Yeah, we thought about that but we decided not to."
The top thing I love about this job is the products. I know everyone says it's the other people blah de blah. Fine, you be nice to people, and yes, we have great people, but for me you can find decent people many places if you are willing to listen and be selective. I'm here about the products. I consider myself defender and protector of products. The products here are quite good. Standout really. Worth fighting for quality in. Yes, it's likely I enjoy testing a bit too much.
Huh? No?
I'm trying to phrase this correctly and instead of: Since we know it is so well designed that it is going to hold up, how about we throw twice our worst reasonable fears at it just once and if no issues are found at just twice the worst case scenario I promise the next day I'll come in wearing a t-shirt that says on it, "My paranoid tester thinking cost the company time and money. I made useless testing happen!" and on the back it can say, "I was WRONG, so wrong, and it isn't the first or last time either!"
I'm thinking a calm question of: Why did you decide it wasn't needed? is the more professional response.
Now I'm going to go home and have nightmares of people saying, "Testing? Yeah, we thought about that but we decided not to."
The top thing I love about this job is the products. I know everyone says it's the other people blah de blah. Fine, you be nice to people, and yes, we have great people, but for me you can find decent people many places if you are willing to listen and be selective. I'm here about the products. I consider myself defender and protector of products. The products here are quite good. Standout really. Worth fighting for quality in. Yes, it's likely I enjoy testing a bit too much.
Posted by Testy Redhead at 3 Sep 2009 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: load testing the case for testing Testing
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: load testing the case for testing Testing
Well, does senior management agree that risk is worth taking?
In other words, if you get senior management to say, out loud, that there is no need to do load testing on the app, the will share ownership of the decision. Then, if the app falls over, it won't become a blame storing session.
Of course, during that meeting where this is discussed, you make it not about CYA but about making it clear you care about the outcome and have concerns.
You may not be successful this time, but you can set it up so that next time, there's a better chance you'll get listened to. ("Let's not let this turn into another foo project ...")
good luck!
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That's a great question! I was able to meet with the team last night and ask them about this decision.
They told me that the load testing IS planned, just in a full dry run so that the data throughput will be completed for the whole workflow (beginning to end) and with real world data so that it is a more valid scenario, just stressed with way more data than we expect.
Since what I am testing will be for internal use only this approach makes great sense.
I suppose this is just another lesson in the dangers of assumption for me. I assumed that not doing load testing during this round of testing meant they decided not to do it at all.
Clarifying and asking questions is really key to test planning. I'm glad that my initial assumption was wrong. The team decided that it isn't time to do load testing yet, but it is planned, and I'm very relieved to see that. That is way different from the team deciding not to do it ever or that it isn't important.
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Lanette,
I love the t-shirt idea!
Best wishes,
Laura
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