Significant Changes in the QA World: Our Last Year Recap & Happy New Year!

We want to wish a Happy and Healthy New Year to all our readers!

The last year has been a wonderful year for STH – why wouldn’t it be? We had the best of the readers and followers behind us.

Back in December 2006, I started this blog with an intention to help software testers and today – after 15 years – it is helping thousands of Software Testing and Quality Assurance professionals worldwide!

Quick Recap Of What Was Remarkable Last Year

Readership

With over 50,000 RSS subscribers, 68,000 Facebook fans, 7,900 Google+ followers, and 130,000+ email subscribers we are humbled by our readership. Thank you all!

STH Online Software Testing Course

This year we launched ‘Software Testing (Basics + Advanced) + Automation Basics’ online course. With Swati Seela facilitating these classes, we have to say the response has been very encouraging. We had the most wonderful participants and we are proud to say that our alumni (who we lovingly call QA Gladiators) are growing as we read.

When our participants provide us positive feedback, give us the news that they got certified, or found a job, or come to us with questions/concerns, or even provide constructive criticism –we value this interaction with pride and immense joy.

We are sure that our QA Gladiators are going to give each one of us tough competition. Go, Gladiators! :)

Ebooks

Overall the year has been a great success for us as we launched some good free and premium ebooks.

#1) Software Testing Career Package ebook:

This premium ebook was launched in February this year. This presents everything you need to know to successfully carry out Software Testing in a small to large infrastructure. It is 132+ pages full of practical and real-life examples that provide an easy way to master various software testing techniques.

#2) Freelance Software Testing Job Opportunities eBook: If you are yet to check this out, try it. It is awesome! This book made us especially proud as it became the #1 Bestseller in the Software Testing Category shortly after its launch.

#3) Free ebooks: Manual Testing Help ebook versions 1 and 2. The content of both these eBooks is very useful to understand manual testing concepts, testing methodologies and preparing for software testing interviews.

ISTQB Certification Study Package

This premium package comes with everything you need to prepare for ISTQB and achieve success. The study material includes ISTQB exam details and tips, eBooks, 1200 normal practice questions, and 400+ PREMIUM questions with answers.

STH Articles

The articles, both by the STH team and the guest authors have raised the bar on the standard for how QA concepts can be presented in the form of enjoyable reading content.

Significant Changes in the QA World

Well, enough about us. Let us talk a little bit about our habitat – the QA Sphere. :)

The initial thought was to highlight certain key points of the QA field’s evolution over the last year. But, for something as vast, a year’s time is almost insignificant and the changes are not so imminent.

So, we chose to sum up a few of the significant changes that have happened in the QA world over the last decade- more or less.

What are the significant changes that happened in the QA world over the last decade?

#1) QA Toolbox Is Getting Lighter

Test/Defect Management tools earlier had to be installed on local machines, had a server, a database configured for them and had a specialized Admin who had to be contacted even to add as much as one user. Despite all this, the tools were pretty heavy on local memory consumption and the overall network load.

While these tools still continue to exist and thrive, the newer, ‘lighter’ versions are a breath of fresh air. They require no installation, can be accessed through a URL via the internet, take minutes to set up and the hosting of the database and servers is optional (the tool companies provide that for a nominal fee). These tools are light on system resources and network- not to forget the pocket. Sold!

#2) People Over Process

Those of us who have been in this field long enough would easily agree that the software development system has moved from being the traditional linear way to the more rapid, iterative models like Agile.

Since changes are fast, business-critical and competitive- there isn’t much scope for checks and measures (processes). This style of project development has realized that the maximum chance of success lies only in choosing the best team out there – self-learning, fast, efficient, responsible team players.

It is more important now than ever to be better than the best at what we do.

#3) Documentation – Relatively Getting Lesser

Don’t you all remember how we used to spend anywhere between 3 weeks – 1-month writing test case documents. Well, that has considerably gone down, with entire project releases being 2 – 5 weeks; we no longer write these detailed documents.

We settle for one or two liner test cases briefing what is to be tested and how. For some, this is a blessing and others it’s a luxury lost. Whichever way we see it, it is surely a substantial change.

#4) QA Tools Are No Longer Hostile with One Another

Well, they weren’t hostile earlier, simply isolated. To elaborate, earlier two tools of the same type or supporting type would not interact with each other leading to isolated data from various teams/processes in different places. That has changed, thankfully! To name one, tools like JIRA, Rally, and HP ALM interact bridging the distance between them. They are friendlier with each other now. :)

#5) Mobile Application Testing

Nowadays with every web application coming up with its own sister mobile app, mobile application testing has become huge. Those of us who are not into it yet aren’t going to be able to resist it any longer. It’s coming after us!

While some things have changed, the others remained the same. Teamwork, Positive attitude, a smile – they go a long way.

In the coming year, we hope the QA community spreads its wings wider, soars higher and reaches farther than it ever did before.

Wish you all a safe and fabulous new year!

Over to you

Let us know what went well for you last year and what did not. Also, please feel free to add to the list anything else you think had changed in the QA world over the years.