Software Testing FAQ - No. 9

Is a software tester more than a tourist?

This question appears to have come from somebody connected with Wiley Computer Publishing. You've got to admit, it is an interesting question. The converse (is a tourist more than a software tester?) is surreal. But surreal and interesting aren't synonymous anymore. Some question if they ever were.

Now, strangely, I was reading Lessons Learned in Software Testing which has an eerily appropriate section:

"Lots of things you can do with a product that aren't tests can help you learn more about it. You can tour the product, see what it's made of and how it works. This is invaluable but it's not quite testing. The difference between a tester and a tourist is that a tester's efforts are devoted to evaluating the product, not merely witnessing it. Although it's not necessary to predict in advance how the software should behave, an activity that puts the product through its paces doesn't become a test unless and until you apply some principle or process that will identify some kind of problem if one exists."

Pretty conclusive really. The answer is a resounding yes.

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