I blame James

I’ve had the two ideas contained in this post kicking about for a bit and in James’ most recent blog he says

Next week it will be exactly 23 years since I first became a full-time software tester, and nearly 17 years since the first time I stood up at a conference and pointed out the absurdity of “traditional” testing methods.

which is a fantastic setup for both of them.

And that is, while I’ve been a full-time software tester for ~ 12 years I became a professional software tester at some point during Monday, August 29, 2005. That day is notable not only for hurricane Katrina ripping through New Orleans, but because that is when took RST (and met James as a result). So everything I have accomplished or done since then can be traced to those three days.

It was this eye-opening that I heard from several people at Star which inspired them to be a better tester but start writing and talking about testing. But it also goes further than that as people have told me that they talk and write about testing because I write and talk about it.

This network effect is extremely powerful, but it turns out that while I blame James for what I have become, it doesn’t start with him. I would guess that it actually goes back to Jerry [Weinberg]. So in effect I should blame Jerry, but since I have only met him once I’ll stick to blaming James.

Now in no means is James the only one to directly blame, though he is the catalyst, as Michael [Bolton] has directly done a lot to shape the outcome. But, to me, let’s call them ‘primary influences’. And let’s say that I am a primary influence to someone else, and them in turn to someone else.

Let’s also accept and acknowledge that influence is a two-way street which means people further away from the origin can still influence at it. See James’ Star keynote with its 5 minute discussion of Lanette as Exhibit A of this.

Confused yet?

Here’s a video.

The video is talking about the dimensions of space and time, but it works well-ish for influence also.

Note: blame throughout this post is used very tongue-in-cheek.