Software testing FAQ - No. 20

What did software testers do before there was any software?

That question was sent in by Mr T, erstwhile fool identification consultant with an organisation called the A team.

Well, Mr T, in order to get an answer I could go and ask people who were around before software happened. That presupposes that I can be bothered to listen to what they have to say. And I can’t. Besides, in many a previous FAQ (see Software testing FAQ No. 3,
Software testing FAQ No, 17 and Software testing FAQ No. 19). it has been contested that software testing has been around so long that such people simply do not exist. Admittedly, one of these questions was by Tracey Temple, who is not averse to making outrageous claims that beggar belief, but that doesn't change my can't-be-botheredness one jot.

At the Practical Software Quality and Testing international conference in September 2005 they discussed the history of software testers but traced it only as far back as the famous Turing Test. I don't know why they stopped at that point, but they did.

AJP Taylor was similarly quiet on the subject. But fortunately Captain H. M. Murdock published a pamphlet that sheds some light on this topic:

"Before there was any software it was common for software testers to pass their time as brain surgeons, professional athletes, mercenaries, celebrity chefs, gong farmers, historians, artists' models, artists, reeves, night club door attendants, saints, cottars, alternative comedians and court fools."

So thank goodness software appeared or Mr T (famous for saying "I pity the fool" and "Shut up, fool") might have had to change his catchphrases or risk exhaustion. "I'll get the Van" was another of his famous sayings.

Software testing careers