The Godmother of Modern Coding

Today, we welcome back our guest writer, Renée Mineart. 

Rear Admiral Grace Hopper (1906-1992) was one of the first computer programmers in the world and she is the reason why we write code today with words, not zeros and ones.

Hopper wasn’t just one of the first developers in the world, she was also the first hacker, computer technical author, tester and considered the ‘Godmother of COBOL’.

My Experience: A Reflection on Life's Challenges

Today, we welcome back our guest writer Renée Mineart with a new blog on Women in IT. 

Have you ever been in a meeting where others would constantly talk over you whenever you try and raise a point? Or had something you said been completely ignored by everyone else in the room? Do you struggle to be taken seriously by your teammates when proposing highly complex solutions?

If you experience any of these conditions on a regular basis, then you might be suffering from being a Woman in IT. Now, you might think this isn’t a real issue or is no longer a reality. Surely, we have, in the 21st century, moved beyond these outdated attitudes towards women. If you think this is no longer an issue in the workplace, then you should probably think again.

Embracing the Gray Areas of Testing

We are pleased to have one of our blog writers Renée Mineart, returning with a new blog item ‘Testing is not always Black and White’. It’s a follow-up blog from last month’s piece Black Box Testing Techniques by Jane Kelly which we would recommend reading before proceeding.

The differences between Black Box and White Box testing are not always (…please forgive the pun!) as black and white as the title might suggest. That is to say, even though they are not the same, it’s not a case of one or the other. 

Where Does That's Impossible Come From?

Today, we welcome back our popular guest writer, Renée Mineart.

Impossible is one of my favourite words. I like the word because it has a literal meaning, and a figurative meaning that we use on a regular basis. The thing is, people often think they are using the literal meaning when actually they are using the figurative meaning!

Defining UAT Team Roles and Responsibilities

Today, we welcome back our popular guest author, Renée Mineart.

There are many, many challenges in developing and delivering a successful application. That’s what makes it interesting, if you ask me. One of the greatest of these challenges, in my experience, is time management (apart from a planet wide pandemic of course!).

Agile Principles in Action

Today we welcome back our guest author Renee Mineart, for the final piece in her series on 'Redefining Success'. If you’ve just come across this series, I would encourage you to start at the beginning, so here are links to the previous posts:

Part 1: What to do when Version 1.0 hits the proverbial fan

Part 2: Hey, let’s Talk about how we Talk

Part 3: Don't be a Mob Boss: A Safe Environment for Failure

In this post, I’d like to delve into the heart of the topic and look at the benefits of Agile Testing and how to redefine and deliver a successful, failed project. 

How Can You Prepare for Version 2.0?

Today, we welcome back our popular guest author, Renée Elizabeth Mineart.

It has taken me a considerable amount of time to get my head around this topic. I’m not sure, even now as I place fingertips to keyboard, it is the right direction for this blog. But I think it’s an important topic to cover and is perhaps not talked about often enough. So, I ask you to please, bear with me as we broach the murky waters of … (queue dramatic music) … Project Failure. 

Mutiny on the Project

Today, we welcome back our popular guest author, Renée Elizabeth Mineart. 

I realised this week that I have a character flaw. Probably, one of many, if I’m being honest but let’s just focus on the one for now.

I first began to realise this last week after chatting with my line manager about some software we use in the office. Software that I detest and consider an absolute waste of time.

Keeping Up Morale While in Lockdown 

I hope you don’t mind if I divert slightly from the topics of User Acceptance Testing, Sprint Cycles and other software testing subjects, to discuss the very important topic of keeping up morale while in lockdown (a.k.a. being a bit silly).

In this time of global crisis, we must remember to laugh from time to time and remember that we are, at our core, social creatures.

Why is UAT Important?

User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is a vital step in the successful release of any new software. But why? Why is this one stage so important?

I live in the far back corner of a housing estate situated behind another housing estate. If I want to go into the city near where I live, I have to drive through both housing estates and no matter which way I go, I have to drive over at least eight speed bumps.