And actual post to a forum I saw yesterday:
Hi
I am new to software testing and want help with learning QTP. I am based in (city) and looking for mentor.
Thanks
(name)
Now, I'm not trying to insult anyone. But imagine, for a moment, this appeared on a Carpentry forum:
Hi
I am new to carpentry and want help with learning The Hammer. I am based in Detroit and looking for mentor.
Thanks
Bob The Builder
Or perhaps plumbing:
Hi
I am new to plumbing and want help with learning The Wrench. I am based in Chicago and am looking mentor.
Thanks
Joe the Plumber
Now, I can forgive the poor English. The author probably doesn't write English as a first language, and is actually working hard to translate each word. I have to respect that.
But will learning QTP teach you to test?
Why are we so reluctant to say, as a community, that we want to get good at testing, that we want to understand and predict failure modes, that we want to get good at risk analysis and triage?
Is it because recruiters scan for buzzwords? Because 'testing' alone doesn't get us in the door, we 'need' to know Quick Test Pro, or Java, or SQL, or C#, or Fitnesse?
Don't get me wrong. Tools are important, but they are secondary. We need to change the debate.
I'm open to new and interesting ideas on how to change the debate. What do you think?