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How much testing do we need?

Listen everybody, I keep reading about all these people who go to conferences, they are noticeable speakers, have something to say about QA and I appreciate that.

I wish I was like that, but is it really worth it?

I can tell you right now that I wouldn't like to leave everything aside and just go for one week in London, for example. Not to mention the work and time you have to spend preparing prior to that: think about a subject that might interest people, do a nice presentation, buy a ticket, book a hotel room and go through the stress of travelling 9 hours just to present to a bunch of people interested in QA. Yeah, I agree, there is the satisfaction that somebody looks-up at you, asks you questions, you feel important to share your knowledge.

That is cool, I know the feeling, but really, how much more there is to say about QA?

In my opinion, QA can be reduced to a few sentences:
- test if you have a budget
- test intelligently if you have a bigger budget
- be prepared to give a QA status that will emphasize how well you successfully implemented with a limited budget
- people care only up to a point about QA, as long as the application works in production it doesn't matter if you had 30 defects or 100 defects.
- does anybody care that the application sucks? NO. People will continue to use it the way they can.
- does anybody care if I get frustrated while I use this application? NO.
Because in the end we had a successful implementation. And that's all there is about QA.

To be or not to be....on contract?

This is the question that lots of people ask themselves. Especially those who work full time because they've been wanting to switch to contract but they just don't have the guts to do that...

The other day a co-worker told me very bluntly that I don't count, "I'm just a resource" and had I been full time in the company it would have been different.

Why would it be different, I ask myself (I didn't ask her 'cause I was just too shocked with her declaration).

Why are full time people so mean with contract people? Or is it just envy because we get to do a lot of money and to work less?

Contract gives you so much flexibility; you don't like the place, don't like the people you move on to the next contract. Is that easy. The disadvantage is that you're always moving from one place to the next and you never seem to find your place. But eventually when you do you will stay there for years and years....and you make friendships, you build a reputation and you grow with that place.

On the opposite, as a full time worker you will put up with all the b..s...that people give you, have to support all the crazy people who have become managers after they did a wonder course of 3 days, you work on multi projects without getting more money, you get to do your project manager's job and you get to do those quarterly and yearly reviews with somebody who's not even qualified to be called a manager sometimes!

Forgive me, but how is this better?

It's funny how full time people always envy contract people for the money they make and they keep finding us faults - "Oh, you can't be a manager because you don't know how this company works." or "You can't sign timesheets even though I report to you because you are on contract and contract people don't sign timesheets!" or "You don't have any product knowledge because you haven't been here for 10 years, like I've been!"...

What is this, people???? Where did you get these ideas????

I work on contract and I'm very happy where I am in my life because I get to do a lot of money, I leave the place if I don't like it, I can say "No" a lot more and I get to leave work at 5 pm!

And even if I am a contractor I am very good at my work because I have to prove myself in a very competitive environment. And my rate depends on how good I am at what I do, so don't tell me that a full timer is better than a contractor! I'm dissappointed that some people really believe this.

This is totally wrong.

Photo credits: webchicken on flickr.com . Thanks!