Better Software Magazine

Better Software Magazine Articles

Asking the Right Questions and Asking Them Right

Naomi Karten shares how to ask the questions that ensure you and your customer are on the same page. Her tips include: 1) guard against conflicting interpretations; 2) don't jump to conclusions; 3) gather feedback early and often; 4) examine your rules for commenting; 5) conduct congruent questioning; and 6) find out what's important to your customers.

Naomi Karten's picture Naomi Karten
A Look at T-VEC's Test Vector Generation System

Before they started using T-VEC, David Statezni's group was manually creating and running requirements tests and separately creating and running code coverage tests. T-VEC's features allowed them to save time.

David Statezni
Checking out of the Burnout Ward

Stefan Jaskiel helps you recognize the signs of job burnout (complacency, difficulty focusing, careless attitude, and helplessness), and offers some strategic interventions.

Stefan Jaskiel
The Downsizing of High-Tech America

The success or failure of a downsized organization depends on the work force remaining after the storm. Before deciding to change jobs, survivors should carefully analyze their company's situation. Downsizing many be an indicator of poor economic peformance, or it may be just what the company needed in order to turn itself around. Employees who "weather the storm" may discover new opportunities for career advancement hidden among the ruins.

Stefan Jaskiel
The Risk in Risk Management

What happens when you perceive a future risk, and others don't? Peter de Jager lays out the hazards of being a risk management visionary.

Peter de Jager's picture Peter de Jager
Why Testers Should Care About Patterns

Patterns, as described by the architect and theorist Christopher Alexander and his colleagues over the last thirty-five years, are a way of describing problems and customizable solutions. Patterns became popular in the software development field, and they've been applied to testing. Here, Brian Marick explores patterns and problem solving.

Brian Marick
Measuring and Managing Performance in Organizations

Don Gray recommends Measuring and Managing Performance in Organizations by Robert D. Austin. The book is not a five-step program toward measurement success; instead, it gives an in-depth look at what makes or breaks measurement systems. The book presents information in an intuitive way; if you understand algebra and simple logic, you will understand what Austin is presenting.

Don Gray's picture Don Gray
At What Cost?

The phrase "Internet Time" connotes urgency. But Technical Editor Esther Derby urges readers to think beyond the fast pace of Internet development, and consider the true costs and benefits of making the deadline.

Esther Derby's picture Esther Derby
Writing Effective Bug Reports

Have you ever had a bug returned to you for more information? Have you ever found a critical bug only to have it deferred to another release? Elisabeth Hendrickson tells you how to write effective and informative bug reports that will get noticed.

Elisabeth Hendrickson's picture Elisabeth Hendrickson
Why Testers Should Participate in Early Reviews

Do testers really belong in early reviews? For Michael Dedolph, the answer is yes! For that matter, he thinks more installers should be involved as well. Why? Testers and installers are usually involved in the "end game," so they add value by bringing that very different point of view to the review process.

F. Michael Dedolph

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