Testing is like…

Background

Again, Twitter comes to my ”what should I write about next?”-rescue! Heather Reid shared a challenge from the Bloggers Club on the Ministry of Testing. The challenge is to write a blog post about the topic “Testing is like…”

Picture of a roller coaster with fireworks in the background — Photo by David Traña on Unsplash

Testing is like fireworks.
Lighting up my brain with ideas neverending. Challenging my thinking with endless possibilities.

Testing is like a mosquito.
An annoying buzzing keeping me awake at night. Always present, never close enough to touch.

Testing is like the wings of a butterfly.
Placing a tiny speck of a question in the right place, at the right time. Seeing it toppling mountains.

Testing is like fear of the dark.
Clearly seeing all the things that might go wrong, actually knowing the worst thing that could happen. Wondering how others manage to live in blissful ignorance.

Testing is like improvised dancing.
Moving freely where my senses guide me. Moving in, or out of, harmony. To my own beat. Maybe making sense to only me.

Testing is like scripted baking.
Repeating the motions and steps of others before me. Getting the perfect result every time, without waste. Always predictable, always reliable.

Testing is tedious, and exciting.
Testing is repetition, and creativity.
From safe and boring to exhilarating and breathtaking in one fluent motion. Like riding a roller-coaster that never stops.

Testing is everything.
Everything I wished for, everything I do. From start to end. Endless. Curious. Liberating.

Testing is nothing.
Nothing without context, nothing without purpose. Nothing like they said it would be.

Author

Lena Pejgan Nyström

Lena has been building software in one shape of form since 1999 when she started out as a developer building Windows Desktop Applications (Both impressive and scary - they are still alive and kicking) She later found her passion for testing and even though her focus has shifted to building organizations and growing people, she is still an active voice in the testing community. Her core drive is continuous improvement and she strongly believes we all should strive to challenge ourselves, our assumptions and the way things are done. Lena is the author and creator of “Would Heu-risk it?” (card deck and book), an avid blogger, international keynote speaker and workshop facilitator.