Author Archives: karennjohnson

Explaining the other work we do

Posted on February 8, 2010 by karennjohnson

I had a technical issue I needed to research for a client. Nothing surprising, I research different bits of information frequently. At the end of my research I realized I wanted to explain what I’d done, I wanted to clarify … Continue reading →

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Here be dragons

Posted on January 14, 2010 by karennjohnson

I like maps. I wasn’t sure why maps appealed to me until it dawned on me one day that maps are a form of data visualization. The phrase “here be dragons” was used by mapmakers many years ago in reference … Continue reading →

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experiencing a bug as an end user

Posted on December 16, 2009 by karennjohnson

It’s been a long time since a software bug agitated me – one that I was hit with as a user not a tester. But I’ve had one I’ve been dealing with this past week. In some ways it’s been … Continue reading →

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debriefing alone

Posted on December 5, 2009 by karennjohnson

I often test alone. But then testing is a rather solitary activity much of the time. So is writing. Not surprising, introverts have a way of finding activities that leave them alone. When I teach, I talk about using debriefs. … Continue reading →

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A heuristic for regression testing

Posted on November 12, 2009 by karennjohnson

I’ve been doing a fair amount of regression testing. I gained clarity into how I think through regression testing as I explained my thought process to a client. And I’ve devised a mnemonic: RCRCRC. Recent: new features, new areas of … Continue reading →

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NLP techniques: anchor & swish. What can be applied to software testing?

Posted on October 14, 2009 by karennjohnson

I’ve missed blogging. I’ve missed writing. Well, writing what I feel like when the mood strikes which I cannot predict – either the topic or the timing which doesn’t work so well for editors. I’ve been on another one of … Continue reading →

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PNSQC 2009

Posted on September 15, 2009 by karennjohnson

At PNSQC 2009, I’ll be talking about “Building Alliances.” For a long while, I have avoided discussing assorted topics especially at conferences that might be viewed as “soft” topics. As a software tester without a developer’s background and being raised … Continue reading →

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Storied Careers, a book about storytelling and practitioners

Posted on September 13, 2009 by karennjohnson

Kathy Hansen, published author and storyteller, has released a new book called: A Storied Career, 40+ Story Practitioners Talk about Applied Storytelling. I’m one of several people Kathy interviewed for her chapter on unexpected applications of storytelling. The book features … Continue reading →

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STANZ 2009

Posted on August 22, 2009 by karennjohnson

The STANZ conference begins on Monday in Wellington New Zealand and continues through the week ending in Sydney Australia on Friday. I’ll be talking about my use of storytelling with my work in software testing. I’ll also be teaching classes … Continue reading →

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Beautiful Testing

Posted on July 20, 2009 by karennjohnson

O’Reilly has announced the book, Beautiful Testing. I’m one of the contributing authors. I was asked if I would write about my experiences and thoughts on medical software. I have several different project experiences I could have written about. I … Continue reading →

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