Michael Bolton’s rap teaches us it’s automated checking, not testing
So, you say you can automate testing? Michael Bolton, a creator of Rapid Software Testing, would tell you that you’re wrong.
We were lucky enough to host Bolton at this year’s TestingUy, the largest software testing conference in Latin America, in which he rapped about the misnomer of “test automation” during his awe-inspiring keynote speech in the Antel Tower in Montevideo.
To understand why he asserts that testing cannot be automated, you have to know these important definitions that he crafted with James Bach:
- Testing is the process of evaluating a product by learning about it through exploration and experimentation, which includes to some degree: questioning, study, modeling, observation, inference, etc.
- Checking is the process of making evaluations by applying algorithmic decision rules to specific observations of a product
As the two explain in this famous blog post, an implication of these definitions of testing and checking is that:
Checking is a process that can, in principle be performed by a tool instead of a human (automated), whereas testing can only be supported by tools (not automated).
And, as the two see it, all checking is testing, but not all testing is checking.
Kapeesh?
Didn’t get to see the keynote? Well, Michael Bolton was kind enough to pass us along the lyrics to share with the community and we also have an audio recording of him rapping!
Read the lyrics below to know why we do not dare utter the words: automated testing anymore. (Although, you may still hear us call it that from time to time, as it’s still a pervasive term in the industry)!
Michael Bolton’s Original Testing Rap
Michael Bolton’s rap lyrics as of June 3, 2017 (lyrics may change over time)*:
Experimentation, learning, freestyle exploration
studying and modeling, conjecture, observation
test code development, task prioritization
checking out competitors, preparing simulations
reconciling your testing with required regulations
gathering, assessing, and applying information
deliberation, judgement, designing visualizations
setting up the lab to try complex configurations
working out the problems in a puzzling situation
finding ambiguity in a product specification
trying to look beyond the predicted expectation
that’s because testing’s all about investigation
questioning and learning-playful product interaction
trying to keep your focus while you’re managing distraction
sensemaking, myth-breaking, decision making, no faking
stressing out the product to discover where it’s breaking
refining test approaches through deliberate practice
how could hackers hack this? don’t give them access!
working with the marketers to show the app’s power
point to all the features try to finish in an hour
So I shall socialize to promote collaboration
other folks can help me with my testing preparation
talking with the managers to learn what they require
testing for charisma—that’s what customers desire
refactoring at every step keeping things maintainable
let’s get over overtime and make the pace sustainable
working with the marketers to show the app’s power
point to all the features try to finish in an hour
selecting, configuring, and then applying tools
applying critical thinking confirmation is for fools
pattern recognition, distributed cognition
helping shy colleagues get over inhibition
building coverage models, analyzing risk
eliminating waste, trying to keep the pace brisk
wrestling with problems in the setup of environments
interviewing users to discover their requirements
interrupted and disrupted ‘cos the product’s full of bugs
the fellas who developed it must have been on drugs!
I want to say this while I’m in a rap rhythm
a check’s a part of testing encoded in algorithm
testing’s much more than automated checks and test cases
human variation puts the product through its paces
use the tools powerfully, that’s what I’m suggesting
but don’t try to tell me you ca automate the testing!
To clarify, these are the lyrics that we received from him after the event. Some appear crossed out because he didn’t actually rap those verses for us on this particular occasion. Nevertheless, they are worth sharing!
What a delight it was to watch Bolton’s keynote! Let us know, do you agree with his testing philosophy?
Recommended for You
TestingUY 2017 with Michael Bolton, A Week of Pure Testing
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Federico Toledo
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