The EuroSTAR Conference is Europe’s premier software testing conference and has grown to become the largest and most prestigious event on the software testing calendar.
I promised to share the opening of EuroSTAR 2015 with you. That’s why I’ve created a subset of slide images and share them in this image-blog.
Thanks for the many positive reactions I have received on the 2015 event.
Cheers
Ruud
PS As soon as I’ve recovered, I’ll share more insights and thoughts on the EuroSTAR 2015 conference through this blog.
When I was invited onto the stage at EuroSTAR 2014 in Dublin, they asked me what song I would like to accompany me. They suggested “Bonfire Heart” by James Blunt.
Maybe because I’m Dutch and we Dutch tend to be blunt?
I really like that song, but it had to be something by Coldplay. Reason is simple: ever since I was at the Mylo Xyloto concert they gave in The Hague, I’m a big fan. Not just because I like their music, also because they perform with enthusiasm, spirit and are doing everything they can to make sure that the crowd really enjoys the concert. A bonus for me is that their lyrics resonate with me.
Take for instance “Paradise”.
Funny thing is that, by changing a few words, I can actually make it a test song:
Imagine the “girl” is a tester at the start of his career or a senior tester implementing a new and better approach. Both are “expecting the world”.
Isn’t it great to be naive and innocent?
They discover pretty soon that the world is not ideal; in the real world testing as well as changing the “way we work” is an ordeal. The message I hear, if I continue replacing words in the lyrics, is that a tester needs to keep dreaming of that ideal world in any situation, to be inspired and motivated to overcome whatever he needs to overcome to achieve his goals.
If this test-lyric is in line with your test-story, I know you have a great story to tell to our community. And it’s perfectly aligned with “Walking the testing talk” since that is what it’s all about. Your story is all about good and bad experiences, lessons learned and almost forgotten are shared. You have tips, tricks, and good practices to share as well as the passion for our testing craft.
Take this opportunity to tell your story and submit it to EuroSTAR. The worst that can happen is that you have to speak in Maastricht in November…
When the EuroSTAR team called me a few weeks before the 2014 conference, I expected some questions about the talk I was invited to give. To my surprise, they asked a completely different question: “Would you like to be the EuroSTAR programme chair for 2015?” Since it is the first international test conference I attended [1996, Amsterdam], spoke at [1999, Barcelona] and a conference I was able to attend over 13 times, I was honoured and exited and of course I said yes. I gladly accept the challenge of being programme chair of the greatest European Conference on Software Testing Analysis and Review and make this a memorable one together with the EuroSTAR team.
EuroSTAR 2015 – Maastricht, The Netherlands
Picking the conference theme was not as difficult as I expected it to be. Delegates enjoy inspirational talks from those that are truly involved in operational testing. They value a conference where good and bad experiences as well as lessons learned and almost forgotten are shared. They want to take home tips, tricks, and good practices. Last but not least, they want to share the passion for their craft and be inspired. That’s why the theme for EuroSTAR 2015 is “Walking the Testing Talk”.
Please visit the EuroSTAR website for more information on the theme and the call for submissions.
I’m invited by EuroSTAR this year to give a challenging talk about estimation.
The Awful Truth About Test Estimation – Have I been wrong all along?
Abstract
Throughout my career, I tried to make effort estimation reliable.
With colleagues, I created a formal approach linked to function point analysis. That didn’t catch on. Was it too difficult? I worked on an informal approach based on questions about size, strategy, resources, and etcetera. Still only small successes. Does “Garbage in, garbage out” apply? Have I been asking the wrong questions?
Please join me in my quest for the right questions to ask. Help me to deal with this once and for all and solve this issue through our collective experience and do what testers are good at: asking questions in search for an answer.
Video message
A new phenomenon is that you promote your talk in a video message. For those of you who do not follow EuroSTAR or visit the website regularly, please check my message here:
See you there!
If you are coming to Gotenborg and are interested in attending my talk, please register here
You can also do so by visiting this page on the EuroSTAR website: “W9 – The Awful Truth About Test Estimation”
Hope to see you in Gotenborg!
On Thursday April 12th, I gave a 30 minute webinar followed by a Q&A session. The title “Moving into the Cloud? Make sure your test apporach is cloud proof!” attracted at least 150 delegates…
For those of you that were not able to attend or want to listen in again, please check this recorded version at the EuroSTAR website or follow this link.
Ruud Teunissen 