I can't say I'm a big fan of blogs - their immediacy lends itself to half-baked ideas, and facilitates breathless ranting. Yet they're anything but ephemeral, or private. As an occasional half-baked ranter myself, I much prefer the cut-and-thrust of a conversation.
However, my email address is in the public domain, and I wonder if I can't make use of a blog to communicate some of the questions I receive about software testing, and some of the answers I give. This would be in the nature of an FAQ, although perhaps the F in that acronym is misleading. I get one or two a month, and sometimes wonder what motivates a stranger to ask me for advice.
The questions that are sent to me are typically short, and seem to need a long answer. It's all too easy to put far more information in the answer than is got in the question - a sign that one may be building one's half-baked rant on sand. I try not to let myself get carried away.
Usually, one would need more details to have a decent stab at a good answer. I'll try to engage the questioner; handing out my skype details and looking forward to clarifying emails. It's rare treat when someone actually responds.
My answers are offered for free, with all the attention to quality and detail that implies - but I also see them as a puzzle, and try to write something cogent. I offer them here in a more public forum, to share ideas and invite comments.
I've not got explicit permission to use people's questions, and so I have obscured, cut and amended their words and my answers to suit. I have a small backlog of such questions. I'll post the first shortly. You're welcome to add comments of your own.
Good job James!
ReplyDeleteActually I am also fond of answering such a questions, and I get many responses each day.
As stated by you its many questions are small but answers i need to give to those questions should be elaborated enough to clarify those doubts.