[ILUG] Linux/UNIX certification

[Brian Foster]

  | Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2005 13:14:36 +0000
  | From: David Jamison <david.jamison1 at ntlworld.com>
  | 
  | Just to take the certification discussion on to a slightly different track!
  | 
  | The company Im working for in Belfast are currently recruiting graduate
  | level trainee software testers.  The really odd bit is that the degree
  | must be in a non IT related subject and applicants must have a degree no
  | execptions.  Therefore anyone with an IT degree or relevant experience
  | would not even get an interview.
  | 
  | Now odd is that?

 assuming the software being produced is not aimed at
 the software development, IT, or similar communities,
 this could be quite a sensible thing to do.  (maybe a
 bit drastic?)

 the issue is that among the worst people to test the
 software and its documentation _as-if_ they were the
 end-users are developers (even if they did not develop
 the software-under-test).

 people who know how software works can have amazing
 blind spots when testing software and documentation.

 of course, you do want/need people capable of doing
 white/grey/black-box (e.g.) testing, which more-or-less
 by definition means people who know how software works,
 so never using developers as testers is also an issue.

cheers!
	-blf-
-- 
Experienced (20+ yrs) kernel/software Eng: | Brian Foster   Montpellier,
 • Unix, embedded, &tc;  • Linux;  • doc;  | blf at utvinternet.ie   FRANCE
 • IDL, automated testing, process, &tc.   |  Stop E$$o (ExxonMobile)!
Résumé (CV) http://www.blf.utvinternet.ie  |     http://www.stopesso.com