Philosophy and why it matters in testing
“Is the software good enough to go to customers?”
“Have we tested well enough?”
“Is this new feature worth building?”
These sorts of questions arise in testing all the time. To answer them, we need to define “good” and we need to define “enough.” Philosophy, which stems from the root words philo (love) and sophy (of learning wisdom), seeks to answer that. Our quick shorthand for philosophy is the study of the good, the right, the true, and the beautiful.
How can we possibly even talk about “good enough” without philosophy?
This topic comes up from time to time. People want techniques, tools, tips, and actionable ideas, not philosophy. Yet, given what we just wrote, how is that possible? One of the writers, Matt, asked this question to someone he trusted with a philosophy degree. She replied, “Some people are stupid.”
We wouldn...