Better Software Magazine Articles

The Spirit of the Times

Brian Marick points to Web resources and email lists that help keep you current with software and computing trends.
Brian Marick
June 26, 2002
Learning from Pathfinder's Bumpy Start

Steve March discusses problems experienced by the Mars Pathfinder. He imparts the following lessons: 1) design defensively in the face of complexity; 2) design defensively for post-shipment problems; and 3) beware of best cases.
Steve March
June 26, 2002
My Summer as a Hacker

Pete TerMaat shares some valuable lessons learned from a summer with "hacking legend" Richard Stallman. He learned that attitude, passion for one's work, was most important. Reviews, coding standards, porting guidelines, bug hunting advice, and other measures can fall flat without a passion for clean code, for "getting things right."
Pete TerMaat
June 26, 2002
Speaking of Quality

Technical Editors Esther Derby and Brian Marick introduce Volume Four of STQE magazine.
Esther Derby's picture Esther Derby Brian Marick
June 26, 2002
A Study in Failures

Examples of mistakes, manifestations, and problems help us understand all parts of the software. Brian Marick suggests Web resources that examine software failures.
Brian Marick
June 26, 2002
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
June 26, 2002
Houston, We Have a Problem

Errors start with individuals, and a primary job of testers/QA people is to prevent those errors in the first place. But an equally important part of the job is to find them once they are there, understanding that errors will happen. Jon Hagar asks, "What can we do personally, above and beyond the normal day-to-day jobs that we testers and developers have?"
Jon Hagar's picture Jon Hagar
June 26, 2002
Know Thy User

Testing, in its broadest sense, means ensuring that your visionaries and programmers are creating a helpful product that people will actually use. As the two authors of this installment of Bug Report illustrate, understanding how those users will operate your application is more than an exercise in empathy; it's a simple key to avoiding some real usability meltdowns.
Brian Marick
June 26, 2002
Interesting Times

Technical Editor Brian Lawrence offers some troubling trends he sees in the world of software development and testing, including software produced in "Web Time" and mainline business functions being moved onto Web-based systems.
Brian Lawrence
June 26, 2002
The Wonderful World of Software

Former STQE magazine Technical Editor Brian Lawrence shares a tale about why a commitment to quality and paying close attention to detail are critical elements in building better software. It’s all about careful planning and anticipating customer behavior. Go with Brian on a stroll through one of the oldest, best-known amusement parks to find out more.
Brian Lawrence
June 26, 2002

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