TestBashX 2022 review
I’m pleased to say I attended TestBashX 2022 last week but it was a little different for obvious reasons. With COVID cases on the rise, swag included masks and hand sanitizers and ventilation was constant to follow COVID regulations – made more noticeable by the near zero temperatures outside!.
So why go through this? Why make the long journey to join 100 people squeezed into a single cramped room?
I first attended TestBash in 2016 and was completely amazed by the testing community. It wasn’t just any old conference - the talks were only part of the story. TestBash is about the people you meet between talks, at the drinks afterwards and during the short games mid-conference. These are the people who know all there is to know about testing; from hiring to automation, cutting edge practices, diversity, inclusivity and much more.
My last TestBash was supposed to happen in March 2020 but – again for reasons well known - it was cancelled with just 10 days to go. It was a blow to everyone, but Ministry of Testing (“MOT”) stepped up admirably by providing more online content, more online conferences and thankfully are now back in person.
TestBashX did not disappoint. Of course the talks were great but even better were the 40-minute challenges across 6 different tables. I loved the format and it let me get to know many of my other teammates. Our team didn’t win unfortunately, but who cares when you learn new things.
My favourite table was the Jenga challenge. This encapsulated the walls and miscommunications that often exist between testers and developers. How do you build a tower that testers can take 2 pieces off at any point and still reach the required height?. Here is how:
Not to spoil the fun for next time you attend the conference, here’s some good material to read:
Learn writing test cases in Postman in 40 minutes: TestBash X | Postman API Network
Risk Storming is a great tool for trying to acknowledge risks for epics / projects RiskStorming Online | A Quality Strategy Created Together
This is based on a Test Sphere deck that I also won in 99 second talks on the event TestSphere | MoT (ministryoftesting.com)
Testing cheat sheet every tester needs: Microsoft PowerPoint - HeuristicsCheatSheetv1.ppt (testobsessed.com)
Implementing consumer-driven contract testing is a great way to maintain growing microservices stacks. Consumer driven contract testing using Postman
I suggest everyone to read up on contract testing, I didn’t get a link for that, but it’s an important part of API-first testing.
To conclude – if you need testing motivation, want to find like-minded people or just want to have fun, attend the next TestBash and join in. And if you are worried about feeling awkward after COVID and not knowing how to speak to people, you are definitely not alone.
