Browsing through 2010
I went through my public 2010 blog posts and summarized what I had written about down in the list below. Not much for this year, not that it’s the quantity of posts that matters. But back in 2008 and 2009, I averaged about 4 entries a month. This has now dwindled to 2 entries a month.
Is this thanks to microblogging? Have I less to gripe, er write, about? Are the iTouch apps too much of a time-sink than I would like to admit? Has having to censor my work due to confidentiality clauses become a deterrent? Have I become too busy with work?
Whatever the reason is, I’ve found 2 entries a month to be somewhat manageable. So my goal for 2011 is to have the discipline to keep at it. Not just the writing, per se; it’s more of the learning. Testing blogs, social networks like twitter and the software testing club, and – more recently – the weekend testing sessions have provided me with invaluable opportunities for learning and exposure to new technologies, techniques, tools, ideas. I reckon I’ll continue tapping on to these resources in the coming year.
Summary of the year’s posts…
January
- Tagged along to a pinoyjug meetup (though i’m not a java dev) and one of the topics was on automated testing with selenium.
- Mentioned that the last official training I had was way back in 2007, and it wasn’t even on testing. For this I have an update, my latest training is now the BBST Foundations class I took from Jul-Aug 2010.
- Posted links to chapter excerpts of Beautiful Testing. Back then, I mentioned that the digital version of the book sold at $33.99. I managed to get a copy for only $9.99 through one of those O’Reilly deals/promos.
February
- Posted on feedback
Mar
- Posted on helpful bug reports
April
- First time to join a weekend testing session (anz chapter)
- Tried and wrote about a testing exercise involving ParcCalc
- Posted on risk analysis
May
- Posted a couple of wtanz-related topics, one of which was on tools
June
- Started decluttering my testing-related feeds
- Posted on the Jarlsberg exercise from a wtanz session
- Posted a couple of posts on responsibility, integrity, contribution, and motivation (awesome Dan Pink video)
July
- A few wtanz-related posts: using watir, modeling, and accessibility testing
- Plus a post on a case of attentional blindness
August
- Still decluttering my testing-related feeds
September
- Posted on being busy
October
- Posted on the “test automation series” we were having at wtanz
- Posted on the topic of training and Barry the baker
Hard to say whether this was a fail or not. I had only 8 posts in this blog for 2011, but I had 58 in my more personal blog (although some posts there weren’t by me). I’ve also started a tumblr and i’ve been posting stuff in daily. I guess it’s the brevity and simplicity of those two other mediums which makes it easier for me to come up with posts for them. And nobody reads them so there’s no pressure to say the right stuff at all. I have long recognized that I’m a tester at heart, but testing isn’t the only thing to be passionate about.