14 Most Popular Articles Of 2017

What has the testing community been reading in 2017? Find out the most read articles on the Dojo here!

  • Jan 3, 2018
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14 Most Popular Articles Of 2017

 

2017 was a year of supporting new writers in publishing great testing articles. I’ve long believed that we can elevate testers and our community through the power of great words. Good writing is as good as, if not more important than, good speaking.

I don’t think it is a coincidence that a few of the writers below are new or soon to be conference speakers.

It took a fair bit of tweaking, but we feel we’ve finally got a good process flow for publishing articles. Thanks to Sarah and Mel!

I’m personally proud and happy with what we published and in 2017 these were the top 14 most visited articles. I wanted to make a top 10 list, but it felt wrong to leave the others out!

I’ve personally summarised each article. Read, bookmark and DEFINITELY share because you care, right?

 

  1. 30 Things Every New Software Tester Should Learn - Heather Reid

Faced with the repeated question, time and time again, this massive and epic ‘article’ was created to help combat the question: How do I start learning about software testing?  It has since gone on to become our top article of the year.  And rightly so!
 

  1. The One Page Test Plan - Claire Reckless

In my years of being a tester and being involved in the testing community, I have become increasingly frustrated by the lack of good resources on test planning.  Too many people were referring to test planning as a document and a very long inefficient one that needed blanks filling in.  The one page test plan is a breath of fresh air to help you simplify how you think about test planning.
 

  1. Ten Misconceptions About Software Testing - That Non-Testers Share - Kate Paulk

Software testing is so misunderstood, others just don’t seem to get it like we do.  This article takes a good and practical look at 10 ways software testers and software testing are misunderstood by ‘the others’. 
 

  1. But I'm Not A Security Tester! Security Testing On The Web For The Rest Of Us - Kate Paulk

It’s Kate again! Many software testers feel inadequate about their security testing skills.  Should they learn and test software security? Or is that best left to an expert?  This article is a great starting point to start dipping your toes into the art of security testing.
 

  1. What Tools Should I Learn? - Mark Winteringham

Here, Mark from The Software Testing Clinic, takes a popular question and answers it for the rest of us.  The question of what software testing tools to learn is a big one that I see time and time again and seems to cause so much confusion and anxiety in testers.
 

  1. Pairing With Developers: A Guide For Testers - Lisa Crispin

I think I’d be rich if I got a penny for each time I heard someone recommend testers pair with developers. Easy to say, yet it is harder to find information on how to do it well.  Until now at least!
 

  1. Three Digestible Diagrams to Describe Exploratory Testing - Simon Tomes

I do love the thoughtful words and ideas from Simon Tomes.  He’s definitely one to watch out for in the space of exploratory testing. If you’ve ever struggled to explain what exploratory testing is; have a read of this article. 
 

  1. A Quick Start Guide To Learning Performance Testing - The PerfBytes Community

Performance testing is a speciality within itself, one that you can craft a career out for yourself, if you so desire.  This article is a great starting point to help point you in the right direction.
 

  1. Software Testing Shouldn’t Require Expert Coding Skills - Claire Reckless

Nope! No typo here! Sick of hearing why testers should learn to code? Why not read about why they shouldn’t have to! Another awesome article by Claire.
 

  1. Ten Reasons Why Testing Isn't Boring - Kate Paulk

Well, we have at least 3 reasons why Kate isn’t boring, this is her third article on the list! Too many people have this perception that testing is bland, of course, we know that this is not true.  Prepare yourself for the next time someone tries to tell you this by reading this article!
 

  1. How to Train Up a New Software Tester - Claire Reckless

How do you approach training up a new software tester? Do you have a strategy in place to ensure a smooth ride? This article from Claire will help you along the way.
 

  1. Exploratory Testing an API - Maaret Pyhäjärvi

We often talk about exploratory testing, but I don’t feel there are enough examples out there that look at practical ways of performing exploratory testing. This article, for me, is great for that reason.
 

  1. Ideas On How To Succeed As A Tester - Rosie Sherry

Oh, this was written by me. Awesome. I wrote this on the spur of the moment in frustration at too many people asking me for a clear path on how to succeed and grow as a tester. I hope it has helped some of you!
 

  1. How To Use Mind Maps To Develop Clarity With Your Software Testing Strategy - Elizabeth Zagroba

Mind maps! People keep saying to use them for testing! But how? Elizabeth gives some excellent and practical guidance on how.
 

Enjoy!

Rosie
FounderBoss