"Legalization leads to less abuse by youths, and less abuse overall, lower rates of addiction, and less overall harm."
Actually, the United States Prohibition against alcohol DID reduce alcohol consumption. Greatly. In fact, after the Prohibition was repealed in 1933, it took another thirty years before alcohol consumption reached pre-Prohibition levels.
Driverless cars have been around for over thirty years - it's not a new concept. The DARPA Grand Challenge is a challenge event where people (typically students) create driverless vehicles and have them navigate a course. The winner receives a very large prize.
In 2007, the driverless car prize was $2,000,000 for first place, $1,000,000 for second, and a 'measly' five hundred thousand dollars for third place.
There is no way that more complex systems - banking, Internet, manufacturing etc. would function without a highly structured approach including testing.
For the last few years I've worked in SQA testing a very complex piece of banking software. We use a lot of automation, but without extensive exploratory (or ad-hoc) testing, our software would be in bad shape. Automation is used to verify things are working as you expect them to - it typically takes a while to set up. Exploratory testing is a way to quickly check, "I wonder if the developer thought about THIS THING," then trying that thing.
I don't code automated tests to make sure _every_ single field has a field text input limit. But I have checked them all at some point manually just to see what would happen. Non-critical functions of non-critical areas don't get extensive automated tests - it's not worth the time/money. But looking at them once, ad-hoc?
"A test plan is", or "The job of a tester is"... Both of these have very different answers depending on what company you work for, and who in that company you ask.
There is no way that more complex systems - banking, Internet, manufacturing etc. would function without a highly structured approach including testing.
For the last few years I've worked in SQA testing a very complex piece of banking software. We use a lot of automation, but without extensive exploratory (or ad-hoc) testing, our software would be in bad shape. Automation is used to verify things are working as you expect them to - it typically takes a while to set up. Exploratory testing is a way to quickly check, "I wonder if the developer thought about THIS THING," then trying that thing.
I don't code automated tests to make sure _every_ single field has a field text input limit. But I have checked them all at some point manually just to see what would happen. Non-critical functions of non-critical areas don't get extensive automated tests - it's not worth the time/money. But looking at them once, ad-hoc?
"A test plan is", or "The job of a tester is"... Both of these have very different answers depending on what company you work for, and who in that company you ask.
I have to disagree. I've never worked somewhere like this, and I've been in SQA for many years at many jobs.
If you want to be a low-paid button pusher, yes. Do the same thing over and over, all day long with no deviation. If you want to enjoy your job testing, test the software. Try to break it. Troubleshoot. Do things the developers wouldn't expect. (After all, who expects an apostrophe in a name field? "We only expect regular text, right Mr. O'Hanlon?")
The job of a software tester (tester, not button pusher) is to try to find all the defects in the software and report them to development so they can be fixed.
OP is correct - the job of a software tester is to try to break the software. I've enjoyed working in software quality assurance (SQA) for over a dozen years now. I get paid to break things all day, and when I do break it - I don't have to fix it.
SQA is very different depending on where you go and what you're testing.
Web Applications - you'll want programming experience so you can write flexible automated scripts. You can test manually for every supported browser/OS combination, but it's tedious. Desktop Applications - Sometimes manual testing is enough. If the software is large, you'll likely want to automate.
Large companies that move fast will want automation. Small companies that move fast will want automation, but might not realize it. You can get away with manual testing at small slow companies.
You don't need automation skills to be a software tester. You do if you want to become a software tester with a high income.
Living in the San Francisco Bay Area and working in software, I know many developers both male and female. I have a few personal female acquaintances that were (past-tense) previously active in the open source community, but left.
They were aggressively harassed by a very vocal online minority. This vocal minority would trash the ladies name on a large swath of online forums while using different names and accounts. Two received multiple anonymous threats of violence. This went on for years, and the ladies in question finally left the open source community.
This went above and beyond 'normal' flaming in online forums. This involved many forums, each cross referencing each other to lend validity to their (entirely fabricated) claims. And it went on for years, including insinuation that the female developer would come to harm at conferences.
It's very unlikely this happens in every case, but it takes more than a single nutjob attacking someone, or even many nutjobs attacking, to make someone leave the community. It takes good people like you and me to ignore the nutjobs, to not step in and say, "That's enough."
If the sound of screeches on chalkboards doesn't bother you, you may have some mid-range hearing loss.
This is especially true if you have trouble understanding conversations in a noisy environment, like a bar or crowded party. It's not that you can't HEAR the sound, it's that you can't differentiate between varying tones and can't make out what is said. (It may unfortunately also be sensorineural hearing loss - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_aid#Indications)
New hearing aids can fix this by selectively increasing only a specific frequency range.
Not a chance. I've been thinking about this and I think that free email services would definitely stay alive. In fact, I think they'd completely take off.
Any free email service that is outside of the United States is not regulated by US laws or taxes. Why should it be?
"Ha!!! Look at James. He thought he was hot-stuff going to pick up his date. Well, until I nudged him in the ribs and blew his jacket up, that is. Now he looks like a deflated condom."
Wait until your college buddies find out you're wearing one.
If anyone has any information about this in the state of Michigan, I would be very glad to hear about it. You can reach me at chuckfirment at thathotmailwebsite.com. You know the one.
Slashdot Mirror
The 'free, downloadable PDF' link in the article goes to an HTML page wrapping the PDF. Saving this page won't get you the PDF.
Here is the direct link to download just the PDF.
I'm looking forward to reading the entire article when I have time.
I enjoyed the Diablo Three beta videos yesterday.
Good job, Slashdot.
My WSAD skills are rearing up to harm me in this game.
W - Up
S - Right
A - Left
Z - Down
I can't imagine trying to play Player 1 and Player 2 at the same time.
For the Horde, I mean, FOR THE CHILDREN!
"Legalization leads to less abuse by youths, and less abuse overall, lower rates of addiction, and less overall harm."
Actually, the United States Prohibition against alcohol DID reduce alcohol consumption. Greatly. In fact, after the Prohibition was repealed in 1933, it took another thirty years before alcohol consumption reached pre-Prohibition levels.
Source.
Driverless cars have been around for over thirty years - it's not a new concept. The DARPA Grand Challenge is a challenge event where people (typically students) create driverless vehicles and have them navigate a course. The winner receives a very large prize.
In 2007, the driverless car prize was $2,000,000 for first place, $1,000,000 for second, and a 'measly' five hundred thousand dollars for third place.
There is no way that more complex systems - banking, Internet, manufacturing etc. would function without a highly structured approach including testing.
For the last few years I've worked in SQA testing a very complex piece of banking software. We use a lot of automation, but without extensive exploratory (or ad-hoc) testing, our software would be in bad shape. Automation is used to verify things are working as you expect them to - it typically takes a while to set up. Exploratory testing is a way to quickly check, "I wonder if the developer thought about THIS THING," then trying that thing.
I don't code automated tests to make sure _every_ single field has a field text input limit. But I have checked them all at some point manually just to see what would happen. Non-critical functions of non-critical areas don't get extensive automated tests - it's not worth the time/money. But looking at them once, ad-hoc?
"A test plan is", or "The job of a tester is"... Both of these have very different answers depending on what company you work for, and who in that company you ask.
There is no way that more complex systems - banking, Internet, manufacturing etc. would function without a highly structured approach including testing.
For the last few years I've worked in SQA testing a very complex piece of banking software. We use a lot of automation, but without extensive exploratory (or ad-hoc) testing, our software would be in bad shape. Automation is used to verify things are working as you expect them to - it typically takes a while to set up. Exploratory testing is a way to quickly check, "I wonder if the developer thought about THIS THING," then trying that thing.
I don't code automated tests to make sure _every_ single field has a field text input limit. But I have checked them all at some point manually just to see what would happen. Non-critical functions of non-critical areas don't get extensive automated tests - it's not worth the time/money. But looking at them once, ad-hoc?
"A test plan is", or "The job of a tester is"... Both of these have very different answers depending on what company you work for, and who in that company you ask.
I have to disagree. I've never worked somewhere like this, and I've been in SQA for many years at many jobs.
If you want to be a low-paid button pusher, yes. Do the same thing over and over, all day long with no deviation. If you want to enjoy your job testing, test the software. Try to break it. Troubleshoot. Do things the developers wouldn't expect. (After all, who expects an apostrophe in a name field? "We only expect regular text, right Mr. O'Hanlon?")
The job of a software tester (tester, not button pusher) is to try to find all the defects in the software and report them to development so they can be fixed.
OP is correct - the job of a software tester is to try to break the software. I've enjoyed working in software quality assurance (SQA) for over a dozen years now. I get paid to break things all day, and when I do break it - I don't have to fix it.
SQA is very different depending on where you go and what you're testing.
Web Applications - you'll want programming experience so you can write flexible automated scripts. You can test manually for every supported browser/OS combination, but it's tedious.
Desktop Applications - Sometimes manual testing is enough. If the software is large, you'll likely want to automate.
Large companies that move fast will want automation. Small companies that move fast will want automation, but might not realize it. You can get away with manual testing at small slow companies.
You don't need automation skills to be a software tester. You do if you want to become a software tester with a high income.
All your base belongs to the highest bidder.
Thank you.
"I apologize if my post made me sound condescending or unconcerned..."
Kudos.
Living in the San Francisco Bay Area and working in software, I know many developers both male and female. I have a few personal female acquaintances that were (past-tense) previously active in the open source community, but left.
They were aggressively harassed by a very vocal online minority. This vocal minority would trash the ladies name on a large swath of online forums while using different names and accounts. Two received multiple anonymous threats of violence. This went on for years, and the ladies in question finally left the open source community.
This went above and beyond 'normal' flaming in online forums. This involved many forums, each cross referencing each other to lend validity to their (entirely fabricated) claims. And it went on for years, including insinuation that the female developer would come to harm at conferences.
It's very unlikely this happens in every case, but it takes more than a single nutjob attacking someone, or even many nutjobs attacking, to make someone leave the community. It takes good people like you and me to ignore the nutjobs, to not step in and say, "That's enough."
If the sound of screeches on chalkboards doesn't bother you, you may have some mid-range hearing loss.
This is especially true if you have trouble understanding conversations in a noisy environment, like a bar or crowded party. It's not that you can't HEAR the sound, it's that you can't differentiate between varying tones and can't make out what is said. (It may unfortunately also be sensorineural hearing loss - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_aid#Indications)
New hearing aids can fix this by selectively increasing only a specific frequency range.
My father waited an extra three years before buying a new computer *specifically* because he didn't want to reload and configure all of his programs.
You're right - this is very daunting for some users.
Actually, Novi was the sixth train stop, No. VI.
It's possible I'm wrong, but that's what I've heard from many people over the years and growing up in the area.
>Not to mention:
>
>Bye-bye free email services
>
>Bye-bye anonymous email-services
Not a chance. I've been thinking about this and I think that free email services would definitely stay alive. In fact, I think they'd completely take off.
Any free email service that is outside of the United States is not regulated by US laws or taxes. Why should it be?
I'll be signing up for hotmail.uk.
Chuck
David Lightman - "Your computer called *me*."
Department of Defense - "David, computers don't call people."
David Lightman - "Yours did."
Hey, it worked so well for David, it'll work for me, right?
Spam comes in the form of unrequested text, right? So saying "FIRST POST" every time there's a new topic is simply a way of spamming Slashdot?
Chuck
I like the idea of being able to continually monitor some of the things they show in the article:
Sys Temp: ###*c
CPU Temp: ###*c
CPU Speed: ###Mhz
CPU Fan: ###rpm
Handy, especially when you're overclocking or don't have an operating system that supports software to give the same info.
And it's been done by those not using Linux.
e c0 1/12-05WCEUSApr.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2001/d
I hate to say it.
Yea, and I can just see the pranks now.
"Ha!!! Look at James. He thought he was hot-stuff going to pick up his date. Well, until I nudged him in the ribs and blew his jacket up, that is. Now he looks like a deflated condom."
Wait until your college buddies find out you're wearing one.
Chuck
If anyone has any information about this in the state of Michigan, I would be very glad to hear about it. You can reach me at chuckfirment at thathotmailwebsite.com. You know the one.
Thanks,
The soon to be $500 richer Chuck Firment
"You admit to being a "fan" of Thunder Dome? Blarg."
I definately admit to it. To this day I'll occasionally hear the chanting in my head, "Two men enter! One man leave!"
Thankfully it's at completely inappropriate times like corporate meetings or trying to merge in traffic.
Chuck Firment