Getting the Most out of Your Agile MeetingsOne of the most common complaints of any software team during a retrospective is the issue of too many meetings. Agile ceremonies can provide a lot of value to the team, but only when they're done correctly. Here are four ways to get the most out of meetings, avoid wasting time, and gain value for everyone involved.
Cultivating Quality Code: A Slack Takeover with Jeff LangrThought leaders from the software community are taking over the TechWell Hub to answer questions and engage in conversations. Jeff Langr, author of a number of books about software, hosted this Slack takeover and discussed the pros of unit testing versus end-to-end testing, code reviews, and test-driven development.
Sunk Cost: Knowing When to Call It QuitsAcknowledging that a product isn't ready to ship may seem like a simple call—if it isn't the desired quality by the target date, why not pull the plug? But when you start considering all the effort, time, and money you've already invested, it becomes harder to make that decision. Here's a story to help you remember.
Tips for Dealing with a New BossSimply listening to what a new boss says can be a good way to detect what’s important to them. Instead of bombarding the boss with an overview of your accomplishments or a declaration of what you view as significant, start by paying attention. You’ll be showing an interest in their needs and demonstrating your value.
How to Achieve Better Internal CommunicationOur methods of communicating are often on “autopilot.” Being more mindful of when and how we communicate can eliminate problems and strengthen internal relationships. There are several things that can be improved or implemented to increase trust and effective communication on any business team. Here are some ideas.
Using the Phalcon PHP Framework with MySQLSome PHP frameworks now support the model-view-controller (MVC) design pattern, most notably the open source Phalcon framework. Phalcon has the lowest level of overhead due to memory and CPU for MVC applications, and it supports object-relational mapping features. Here's how you can get started with Phalcon and MySQL.
Preventing Boring Test Syndrome in Your AutomationBoring tests are easy to spot: A good rule is if you start feeling sleepy after a few minutes of looking at them. Although routine tests may still find quality issues, having to write them will not encourage a tester to be creative in challenging the application. Here are some ways to make tests more interesting.
Career Options for Testers in the Age of Agile and DevOpsSoftware testing expertise is still a critical need. But as we enter the age of agile and DevOps, the industry is changing. If you’re in a software quality or testing role now as a direct contributor or leader, how should you prepare? What’s your next career step? Here's how you should equip yourself for the future.
