Ten things software testers can be thankful for

As the U.S. kicks off the holiday season with Thanksgiving on Thursday, it’s harder this year to find the hope and joy the season traditionally offers. Each day we hear about companies failing, industries needing government assistance, retailers struggling, increased joblessness, housing foreclosures, and more.

It’s times like these that make you really appreciate what you have — things large and small. With that in mind, I thought I’d take a look at things software testers can be thankful for. A few of these may be wish-list items for some of you, but if you’re fortunate to have them, you are very thankful indeed. (My thanks to the software testers who contributed to this list.)

Here they are — in reverse order — 10 things testers can be thankful for:

10. A product that has testability features built in
9. Coffee (or your caffeinated drink of choice) — Testing has a lot of late nights
8. Agile software development and early and frequent feedback
7. A manager who understands the benefits of training and lets you take courses and attend conferences
6. Microsoft Excel — The tester’s Swiss Army knife
5. Open source tools — As we know, testers don’t get big budgets
4. A programming team that actively solicits feedback from testing and appreciates the value of testers
3. A talented and committed test team
2. Successful application releases

And topping the list …
1. A schedule that allows enough time for testing

What are you thankful for?