Testing in DarkAges!

Exploratory testing

After a long time, I revisited the link from my favorites:

http://www.satisfice.com/kaner/?p=42

This is how we defined exploratory testing: "Exploratory software testing is a style of software testing that emphasizes the personal freedom and responsibility of the individual tester to continually optimize the value of her work by treating test-related learning, test design, test execution, and test result interpretation as mutually supportive activities that run in parallel throughout the project.”

Practically speaking, how many of us get the personal freedom to continually optimize the value of our work? We work with limitations and within boundaries of completing the work in squeezed timelines & budgets. Neither do we question the practice that has been running for many many years now.

In one of my older posts, I mentioned testers being idiots. During those days, I mentioned the same post in many of the meetings, testing discussions, other forums etc.  I hate to say this, but even after a long time, I hardly find any of the testers I know look for newer, better ways of improving their work.  :-(