October 1, 2008 - Optimistic Developers, Pessimistic Testers
In my experience, developers tend to be optimistic folks, while testers tend to be more pessimistic.
- Developers are creators, with a natural optimism about making new things and solving difficult problems.
- Testers are fault finders, with a necessary skepticism and doubt.
- If developers are the yin, testers are the yang.
I believe this is a good thing, a sort of checks-and-balances tension that makes for better software.
But it does lead to some interesting contrasts...
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Optimistic Developer: |
The glass is half full |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
The glass is twice as big as required |
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Optimistic Developer: |
This code hasn't yet been tested. It's not known if it has any bugs |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
This code hasn't yet been tested. It's not known if it actually works |
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Optimistic Developer: |
We are 90% done |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
We don't know when we'll be done, if ever |
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Optimistic Developer: |
We will refactor the code to make it better |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
They are throwing out the working code and replacing it with an unknown quantity |
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Optimistic Developer: |
I only changed one line of code |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
The entire system must be retested |
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Optimistic Developer: |
The code is the design |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
There is no design |
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Optimistic Developer: |
We'll fix those bugs later, when we have time |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
We never have enough time to fix the bugs |
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Optimistic Developer: |
This build is feature complete |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
The features exist; some are completely broken |
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Optimistic Developer: |
Anything is possible, given enough time |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
Everything has flaws, and given enough time I can prove it |
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Optimistic Developer: |
Of course it will work |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
It might work, but probably won't |
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Optimistic Developer: |
One last bug fix, and we can ship tomorrow |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
Fixing this one bug will likely lead to two more |
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Optimistic Developer: |
Stop finding bugs, or we'll never be done |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
Stop creating bugs, so I can find them all |
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Optimistic Developer: |
There's no need for more tests |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
Let's just run a few more tests to be sure |
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Optimistic Developer: |
There is no I in TEAM |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
We can't spell BUGS without U |
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Optimistic Developer: |
That's an "undocumented feature" |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
That's a bug |
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Optimistic Developer: |
I like to build things |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
I like to break things |
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Optimistic Developer: |
Sure, we can use the Beta version of this component in Production |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
We should wait until version 2.1 |
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Optimistic Developer: |
Willing to bet that there are no more bugs |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
Willing to take that bet |
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Optimistic Developer: |
Let's slip these changes in now, because I'm starting my vacation tomorrow |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
Let's not |
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Optimistic Developer: |
That will never happen in Production |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
Never is a long time |
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Optimistic Developer: |
It works on my machine |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
Perhaps your machine is the only one where it works? |
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Optimistic Developer: |
The sun'll come out, tomorrow... |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
Raindrops keep fallin' on my head... |
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Optimistic Developer: |
I'm a Realist |
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Pessimistic Tester: |
I'm a Realist |
In one form or another, I've seen all these scenarios occur. Have any other good Developer/Tester comparisons?
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