Or, “A tester is like…”
In this blog post, I will attempt to share some of my current thoughts and related ideas on “what a tester does”.
Proficiency (having a high degree of competence; expertise) requires many things, including practice. And part of practice is trying.
The word “try” has many different (but similar/related) definitions and meanings. But generally, the verb "try" means "to make an attempt or effort to do something".
Certainly, almost anyone can try almost anything. But, is “trying” itself a skill? Can it be developed? Can you get “good” at it? Is it possible to become proficient at “trying”?
I think so. I think that by gaining diverse experience - through studying and learning different approaches and techniques of trying, by practicing trying, and (somewhat paradoxically) by trying trying - one can become proficient at “trying”.
So what?
A “professional (competent; skilled; as part of a paid occupation) tester” is like a lot of things. In some ways, a “professional tester” is like a scientist. In some ways, a “professional tester” is like a detective. In some ways, a “professional tester” is like an investigative reporter.
And, in some ways, a “professional tester” is like a “professional trier”: someone that has vast and varied experience - by studying, learning about, practicing, and trying trying - and become proficient at it.
In My Experience, thinking of a “professional tester” as a “professional trier" (along with other things), is a simple, quick, effective (and fun!) way to help me better understand “what a tester does”.
I examine and explore “what a tester does” in my talks "What is Testing?" and "Word Smatter".