Next thing you know, you're more than one month further in time, without any blog entries. I had inspiration enough, but it was just the time and my priorities; blogging is fun to do, but also takes up time which I had to use otherwise.
It started with the preparations of the Webinar for EuroSTAR on Unusual Testing, which didn't take extensive time, but some nonetheless.
I started on a new assignment at ING, which took some adjustment but also some learning. I like to be thorough so I studied on some aspects of the domain I'm now working in. I always find it handy to know something of the business, it is just that I find I can do my testing more in context. So that took some of my time.
I found that domain knowledge, like in my previous assignment, is crucial for design of my test cases, just having an extensive testing knowledge won't do it all. I know I should also use the domain experts to keep me from having to catch up with new domains I'm joining over and over again, but it's just the availability from those experts, the communication with those experts, it's just going much more smoothly in my work as I know something of the domain, so I take my time to learn.
I also went to a meeting of the BCS SIGIST in London to do my Ethics Debate. I know the stuff by heart, but still take time each time I do the debate to prepare, like I also do with all other presentations. So that took some time too. And after the meeting I had to catch up on work again to make up for the lost day :-)
The meeting itself was excellent though! The location is in London, for me unusually usual; royal college of obstetricians and gynaecologists (for people who don't know me: I play the casualty simulation victim role of a woman in labour distress on weekly basis in a hospital in Amsterdam). Set up is small and intimate, which encourages networking amongst the visitors. Catering is very good as well and I got a gift (beautiful ball pen) which I'm very happy with, because it is a very pleasant pen to write with and for me good quality material. Also I found the materials in the handout packages very well attended to) and last but not least, the presentations where good. So I was a happy camper!
I've been doing homework for a training program on leadership and got engaged in some very interesting reading as a spin-off from this program ('What got you here, won't get you there' from Marshall Goldsmith), that also took some time.
I got sidetracked a bit because I got really into the series 'True Blood', that took some more time, which was also quality time, because I got to snuggle up on the couch with my husband watching the different episodes. And after that I just HAD to read the novels by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse series) :-) It's not always about testing, but sometimes also about leisure in my life.
I also got selected on the PNSQC program. Which is terrific, but also takes a lot of prep-work. This conference is very extensive in poster-papers and whitepapers that go with the presentation itself, and I took very much care of writing the deliverables. That took a lot of time. And I was also very lucky to have two excellent reviewers for my paper; I'm still very much a 'Denglish' writer, so this was very necessary :-) (Reviewing Rules! - as in my Unusual Testing presentation I also state: “Another major issue is ‘language’, ’terminology’ and ‘jargon’. Not all participants speak English and not all those who claim they do – for example the Dutch- speak it in such a way that the English would necessarily recognize it”)
And I grabbed some time for reading all the different other blogs and e-magazines (like TestingCircus and TeaTime with testers). So that took all my remaining time :-)
Well that's all the time I have for now.. 'see' you next time.
