Friday Challenge: Twitter Feed

The world could end in five minutes! You’re currently in the office using a program that a wannabe programmer “Tiffany Swift” has developed for your team.  It requires you to be present to press a key every 3 minutes.  Your boss is expecting the results from this program when it completes!  He’s stressed it’s very important.

What do you do?

Twitter Feed (my responses to the challenge in bold):

@ darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley) What are the test requirements? i.e. is this functional/performance/other testing?

@darren_mcmillan (from Thomas Ponnet) Is the key to be pressed always the same one? What happens if no key is pressed?Is it important to your boss or the client?

@ThomasPonnet it’s important to my boss yes it might be important to some others, I’m not really sure at this point I’m just a tester

@darren_mcmillan (from Stefan Kläner) I probably wouldnt touch the program, and ask: Which key? Why evry 3 min? Why chosen that polling design? Will it “end”?

@sklaener ohh no! he needs his results I’ll get into trouble

@darren_mcmillan (from Stefan Kläner) What shall happen when no key is pressed for 3 min? What’s the benefit of the program? Is it at least 3 or exactly 3 min?

@sklaener I dunno what will happen if I don’t press the key I’ve never tried doing that before :-|

@ThomasPonnet @darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley) Can the key remain pressed, or must you let it come back up? #softwaretesting #qa

@71notout Ive just to make sure I press the button thats my requirement, it print out some stats when it’s finished which i give to my boss

@71notout good question I dunno what’ll happen if I just hold down the key

@71notout @darren_mcmillan (from Thomas Ponnet) Can modifier keys (Shift,CTRL,Windows,etc) be pressed as well? What if it’s an Apple?

@ThomasPonnet it just looks for a keypress it can be any key

@ThomasPonnet @darren_mcmillan (from Simon Morley) Is pressing my car key ok? Lots of assumptions…

@darren_mcmillan (from Thomas Ponnet)  If the only req is that a button is pressed every 3 minutes it’s not a test it’s a check as no observation is taking place

@darren_mcmillan (from Thomas Ponnet)  By the same token it can then be automated, no learning takes place here

@darren_mcmillan @ThomasPonnet (from Steven Hedley) Tell boss he needs 2 press X to get his stats (and it’ll take 2 presses over 3 mins), then run for the hills.

@darren_mcmillan (from Thomas Ponnet) My earlier question about OS still stands, is it an issue if the Windows/Apple key is pressed, what are the non-func reqs?

@ThomasPonnet whats a modifer key? remember I’m just a lowly tester! they only trust me to press a key every 3mins

@71notout @darren_mcmillan (from Thomas Ponnet) Set the BSOD on demand registry key, then press the scroll lock button twice, then run for the hills

@darren_mcmillan (from Thomas Ponnet) Can I press more than just one key at the same time and expect the app to work?

@ThomasPonnet I dunno what happens if I press more than one key at the same time, I’ve never tried that

@ThomasPonnet @darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley) How exactly could the world end in 5 mins? Are we talking meteor, flood, earthquake, all of the above?

@71notout good question! I don’t know

@darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley)  So how did you know to state that at the start of the tweets?

@71notout is that an assumption?

@darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley) No, you tweeted that the world could end in 5 mins, before disclosing the test specifics :o )

@71notout your correct I did tweet” the world could end in 5 minutes” didn’t I?

@71notout Enforced security pat-downs. (from Thomas Ponnet to Steven Hedley) The outrage would take out humanity

@darren_mcmillan That’s the result. (from Stefan Kläner) A tester isn’t a monkey. So saying ‘no’ is appropriate, could spend the whole WE pressing keys otherwise

@sklaener good point, but… it’s not what I’m looking for

@darren_mcmillan (from Michel Kraaij) is my testing timeframe JUST 5 minutes?

@MichelKraaij is that an assumption?

@darren_mcmillan (from Michel Kraaij) I’m questioning the relation between your first tweet and the task.

@MichelKraaij you tell me

@darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley) If I was you, and thought the world was ending, sod the test & boss, i’m phoning the Mrs and daughter!

@darren_mcmillan (from Michel Kraaij) What kind of quality related questions does your boss have?

@MichelKraaij he doesn’t have any he just asked me to run this program, when it finishes I print the results and give him them

@darren_mcmillan @MichelKraaij (from Thomas Ponnet) That’s a job that I’d be embarrassed to ask an intern let alone a prof tester – no testing involved here.

@ThomasPonnet @darren_mcmillan (from Michel Kraaij)  My thought exactly.

@darren_mcmillan (from Michel Kraaij) Is there additional information available that might be of value to for us to know and that you are willing to share?

@MichelKraaij ohh sure, I can share some more info ;-) Tiffany works in HR she’s not very happy with her job

@MichelKraaij she’s been learning to code in her spare time, to try and make her way into the development team

@MichelKraaij she’s been trying to help out the test team by trying to write some useful programs which have been helpful to an extent

@MichelKraaij she just can’t always get them to work the way she’d like… hence the pressing of the key every 3 mins

@MichelKraaij however they do save us (the test team) some time, so we’re thankful for them

@darren_mcmillan (from Michel Kraaij) Thanks for the additional info. Anything else? And a question: Is the app being tested, the dev.competence, or maybe both?

@MichelKraaij your welcome & in response to your question, I don’t know what the application does I just got told to press this button

@MichelKraaij I don’t have any more info about Tiffany.My fingers are getting sore though I have been here for a few hours now pressing btns

@darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley)  Not sure I completely understand. World could end in 5, app req btn press every 3min, boss wants report at end…<cont>

@darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley)  How many times must button be pressed ?x3 mins – what is relation to 5 mins doomsday? Does button evade doomsday somehow?

@71notout there is no relation between the fact the world could end in 5 mins & the program. Why would you think that?

@darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley) because tweet 1 of many stated the world could end…then tweets 2-5 dealt with test reqts – so thought i’d check for link

@darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley) How many times must you press a key? This is an open-ended test at the moment…

@71notout ohh, I press it until it finishes.

@darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley) So u have started testing w/out knowing full details,could be a mistake! What is the expected result of the btn press step?

@71notout when I press the button I wait 3 minutes and then have to press it again for the program to continue, after about 6 hours its done

@darren_mcmillan (from Stefan Kläner) The program is for internal use only? So why is the boss interested in the results?

@sklaener I dunno I just get told to press the button & give him my results when it’s done, my fingers hurt by then end of it :-(

@darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley) Sounds perfect for automation…

@71notout ahh thats a really good idea

@darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley) Then go sell the concept to your stressed boss :o )

@71notout I think I will thanks!

@darren_mcmillan (from Stephen Hill) What’s the significance of the three minutes? I may have missed this somewhere along the line…

@Stephen_J_Hill ohh the three minutes, Tiffany couldn’t get it to work without me having to press this key every 3 mins

@darren_mcmillan (from Stephen Hill) Have you raised a usability incident yet? This would be a candidate to go on Mantis if it were me!

@Stephen_J_Hill you mean I shouldn’t have to press this button, ahh! I never thought of that, I’ll go talk to someone about it.

@darren_mcmillan (from Stephen Hill) I would be reluctant to accept such an app into test with a flaw like that in it. What’s the app doing?

@darren_mcmillan (from Stephen Hill) I mean you should NOT have to press this button :-)

@Stephen_J_Hill @darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley to Stephen Hill)  I told him to automate it – we don’t do button presses ;o)

@71notout @darren_mcmillan (from Stephen Hill to Steven Hedley) But why is a button press necessary anyway? Automating it just hides the fact such an interaction is necessary.

@Stephen_J_Hill @darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley to Stephen Hill) Without knowing what the app does, how can you state that the button press is superfluous?

@71notout @darren_mcmillan (from Stephen Hill to Steven Hedley) That’s what has gone to find out for us!

@darren_mcmillan (from Stefan Kläner) So you are testing without a mission and dont know which results he expect by it?

@sklaener yeah I’ve just been told to press this button every 3 mins. When it’s finished I print my boss the results

@darren_mcmillan (from Stefan Kläner) So you are not able to interpret the results of the program? Let him do the “testing” then

@sklaener ohh I think he’d get mad if I told him that

@darren_mcmillan (from Stefan Kläner) Since when testers tell their managers what they want to hear? If he can see a bug after 3 min, no need to spend 6 hours

@darren_mcmillan (from Michel Kraaij)  What does the app do in those 3 minutes? (if you don’t know, ask the developer). And how do you know it ends in 60 mins?

@MichelKraaij good point I might just do that, it takes 6hrs to finish :-(

@darren_mcmillan (Peter Haworth-Langford) Am I using or testing? Why is my boss stressed? :) oh dear the world seems to have ended.

@Unlicensed2test ohh the program and the fact the world could end in five mins have no releation. Why would you think that?

@darren_mcmillan (from Stephen Hill) What happens if you click within 3 mins? What happens if you miss the 3 mins by 1 second? On the boundary?
@Stephen_J_Hill ohh I’m not using the program any more, it’s finished. I do remember though it continues when I press a key

@darren_mcmillan (from Steven Hedley) is the name of the developer relevant?
@71notout no her name does not matter

@darren_mcmillan (from Michel Kraaij) what did she try to accomplish, which failed? And why didn’t it work out that way?
@darren_mcmillan (from Michel Kraaij) I’m all for applying the “The I Feel Stuck!” (@michaelbolton) or “Mission Rejected” (Cem Kaner) heuristic.
@MichelKraaij She tried to help us, which she did to an extent which we’ve established

Friday Challenge: The challenge has been partially cracked, well done someone! Still one aspect you’re all not getting

Friday Challenge: Home time now though I’ll pop on later and see if anyone’s worked it all out.

@darren_mcmillan (from Stephen Hill) How do you know when the program has finished? What feedback do you get when you press a key?
@darren_mcmillan (from Peter Haworth-Langford) so many questions. Why does the team need the program? Why is it so important? Howis the 3 mins being timed? Can we stop it
@Unlicensed2test I dunno why it’s important I just got told to run it and press a button

@darren_mcmillan (from Peter Haworth-Langford) what is the program written in? Does Taylor drink coffee? Is the program on 1 machine? My machine has no physical keyboard?
@darren_mcmillan (from Peter Haworth-Langford) oh and how are defining program, key and wannabe dev,& important. Also important for whom?
@Unlicensed2test ohh she’s trying to impress us & hopefully work her way into development

Friday Challenge: So I talked to my boss, he didn’t think to question why we needed to sit and press the button every 3 mins

Friday Challenge: But we got a developer to fix that in a few minutes. I’m glad I don’t have to press that button anymore.

@darren_mcmillan @Stephen_J_Hill (from Simon Morley) Ah, is that why it finished whilst I was pressing the car key button? #mysteriousSphere ??
@YorkyAbroad @darren_mcmillan @stephen_j_hill (from Peter Haworth-Langford to Simon Morley) you weren’t pressing the car key whilst pointing it at your head were you? Strange thngshapen
@YorkyAbroad @Stephen_J_Hill oh yeah thanks for the help, I don’t have to press buttons any more :-)

@YorkyAbroad @Stephen_J_Hill I guess we solved part of the challenge

@darren_mcmillan @Stephen_J_Hill (from Simon Morley) What does the boss want to know next?
@YorkyAbroad @Stephen_J_Hill I’ve no idea I’m at home now, as far as I know he’s happy with what he has now