Eddy Bruin

A tale about Testing and Ignorance

He who knows not and knows not that he knows not, is a fool. Shun him!

He who knows not and knows that he knows not, is unlearned. Teach him!

He who knows and knows not that he knows, is asleep. Awaken him!

He who knows and knows that he knows, is enlightened. Follow him!

An Arab Proverb quoted by Isabel Lady Burton (1831-1896) in

"The Life of Captain Sir Richard F. Burton"

Unknowledge

Missing knowledge

tool for acquiring knowledge

Unknowledge legacy

The 5 orders of ignorance0OI = Lack of Ignorance

I (probably) know something. I have the answer and can explain it.

1OI = Lack of Knowledge

I don't know something, but I have a well formed question.

2OI = Lack of Awareness

I don't know that I don't know something. I have no idea what the right question is.

3OI = Lack of Process

I don't know a suitably way to find out I don't know that I don't know something.

I have no clue how to find the right idea's to search for the right question.

4OI = Meta-ignorance

I don't know about the Five Orders of Ignorance.

Let’s play a game

Igno

ranc

e

Time

Oops!

Oops!

Oops!

Igno

ranc

e

Time

Learning comes from

experiencing the unexpected

Ignorance is the single greatest impediment to throughput

Source: Dan North - Introducing deliberate discovery

(1879 – 1955)

Which he said in 1994

Deliberate discovery practices

“Exploratory testing is simultaneous learning, test design, and test execution.”

James Bach, 1995

Test techniques improve result

Immediate investigation gives most information

Get to know the system

A definition of exploratory testing

Where to start?Explore it!https://pragprog.com/book/ehxta/explore-it

RSThttp://www.satisfice.com/info_rst.shtml

Little black book on test designhttp://www.thetesteye.com/papers/TheLittleBlackBookOnTestDesign.pdf

Bug Huntshttp://www.ministryoftesting.com/2014/05/bughunts/

Exploratory testing resourceshttp://www.developsense.com/resources.html#exploratory_testing

Hey, I just met youAnd this is crazy

So here’s my twitterSo tweet me maybe?!

@eddybruin

Big thanks to these guys!

Dan North – Deliberate discovery

http://goo.gl/ke485

Philip Armour – The five orders of ignorance

http://goo.gl/LIqn6Y

Alan Page – Testers and the order of ignorance

http://goo.gl/cpOGTv

Or me: eddy@loopforward.nl