Ankle Biters Part 1-Why I don't blog about tester certification
Many months ago at the Writing about Testing conference I did a short point/counterpoint with Jon Bach about certification. I explained why I don't care about the topic. The reason I gave was that certification is annoying, like a small ankle biting yippie dog latched onto the ankle of testing. I didn't want to spend time on it when there is a giant pitbull attached to the jugular of testing as a craft & profession. Jon felt that anyone profiting from harming the profession of testing and preying on the ignorance of the uniformed should be called out and held responsible for their behavior, but at the end it turned out not to be a point counterpoint afterall. He has also seen the damaged caused by the ferral pitbull. In his talented thinking testers and the requests from his clients time after time.
For months now I've been thinking about how I can express what I see as the biggest threat to testing, and still I've not thought of safer words or a better way to express it, so I'm going to just get started.
Without much detail, the biggest issue facing testing as a profession is the perversion of Agile.
For months now I've been thinking about how I can express what I see as the biggest threat to testing, and still I've not thought of safer words or a better way to express it, so I'm going to just get started.
Without much detail, the biggest issue facing testing as a profession is the perversion of Agile.
Posted by Testy Redhead at 31 Aug 2010 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: certification drama test methdology testing test debates
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: certification drama test methdology testing test debates
That's weird. An hour ago, I was looking at my kanban here on my whiteboard and one of the items was "Pitbulls and Ankle Dogs with Lanette".
I still think we should co-write something like this -- to figure out what your pit bulls are and what my ankle dogs are... I like the concept.
Reply to this
Can you do dinner this week? I have an article possibility. Would be fun!
Reply to this
Isn't the perversion of agile a big threat to software development teams in general, not only testers? Seems like nobody benefits from unhealthy approaches to producing software.
Reply to this
Good point! I included this in my other post. I know about testing, so that is why I tend to write about that impact. I'd love to hear how it impacts developers when interviews don't relate to the work.
Reply to this
I couldn't let your blog post go by without a link to the Half-Assed Agile Manifesto
Reply to this
I used this in my next blog. Too awesome.
Reply to this
The certification issue was settled a decade ago. The only issue now is how many paid certifications can be sold.
It is trivially true that everyone selling testing certifications is in it for the money. But not all of them are charlatans.
If there is a job you want, and it requires certification, just get the certification. It won't hurt you and you might learn something. Not that I can imagine ever wanting such a job.
Reply to this
I think as long as there are still certifications making money, there will be opposition. I just want to focus on other areas where I feel like I might have a better chance to help inspire a small change.
Reply to this
Chris,
Not sure how you mean that it was "settled a decade ago." It continues to be a contentious issue on forums with people who are fighting for the importance of skill. It's discussed at conferences where people who talk earnestly about craftsmanship compete with those who are espousing so-called "best practices" like being able to do a boundary value analysis or equivalence class partitioning enough to pass a multiple choice test.
Certification dumbs down our profession. It minimizes it by having people meet low and irrelevant standards then imply (and in some cases advertise) that passing makes you "elite".
Imagine passing a Lead Guitar test to join a band. Here's a study guide, here's a class about chords to memorize, and the language of sheet music. Passed? Great, you're a Certified Lead Guitar, your next band will be sure to LOVE you!
As long as there are people like me in this profession who interview certified testers who can't test their way out of a paper bag -- who have no ideas of their own, who don't consider context, who don't know how to think and design, who don't question or can't *demonstrate* their skill -- the certification issue will not be settled.
Lanette thinks this is an ankle-dog. I see you do, too. Maybe it is, but when that little dog is also peeing on my shoes, I choose to be one who will raise the question to the testing community about responsible dog ownership, and I know there will be others who will agree.
Reply to this
Hi Jon,
When I call it an ankle biting dog, I don't do it to demean your work. In my context, which is mostly the US, it is a less urgent threat than it is elsewhere. I just mean that I'm focusing in what to me is an urgent and immediate threat. I hope we get to a point where I am worried about certification as the top issue. It is wrong, bad for testing, and I don't like it. I just don't want to argue about it for 10 more years while these other issues sneak past with hardly a word! These pitbulls are inside the gate, and they aren't the sweet family pet type.
I'm glad I don't have Pomeranian pee on my shoes, and I realize that is partly due to you, James, Micheal, and others who are willing to argue. It may be lazy of me to leave it in your capable hands, but I feel like it is ok if context driven testers have a variety of opinions and areas of focus, but for and against some different ideas. That is part of us being context driven ourselves.
Reply to this