Testing

["USA::MU17692" <MU17692%USA -dot- decnet -at- USAV01 -dot- GLAXO -dot- COM>]

Bev and Robert,

I was refering to the alpha testing phase of our
software.

Our testers were quite good and would not have let a
serious problem fall outside the system. However, in the
alpha stage of testing, there were often many minor
glitches in the program and the documentation. As a
practical matter, it was far easier and faster for me to
actually go and talk to the tester and programmer than
to wait for the official problem report.

Robert's father knew what he was doing and we had the
same attitude he did. We wanted a quality product and
we wanted to work as a team. The other writers in my
group refused to go back to the testers' area and work
*with* them and show an interest in what they do. And
these same writers more often than not worked as
*adversaries* to the programmers. It was their loss. They
frowned upon my "sucking up" to the testers and
programmers. But my boss and the middle management
in testing and development loved it. We met our deadlines
with minimal bitching and fewer problems in the software
and documentation. We also had a heck-of-alot fewer
problem reports. This all helped greatly at our annual
performance evluations.  :-)

-Mike Uhl (uhl~m -at- glaxo -dot- com)
 Glaxo Inc. Research Institute
 Research Triangle Park, NC