Ministry of Testing Leeds - June 2018

The inaugural MoT Meetup for Leeds is now live!

Ministry of Testing is all about testing in its many forms, so you can expect discussions and talks on a wide range of topics. Testing affects all aspects of Software Development so if you have an interest in or work in Software Engineering, then this meetup is for you!

For this special kick off, we've lined up some great speakers and a workshop for everyone to enjoy. There will also be plenty of people from the industry and time for networking.

We will be providing some fantastic local food catering for vegetarians and non-vegetarians as well as the customary liquid refreshments.

As speakers are confirmed, we will be updating the details here so keep checking back for updates.

Agenda:

18:30 - Doors open
19:00 - Introduction, who are MoT and meet the organisers
19:10 - QA and Testing - A Retrospective (James Sheasby Thomas)
19:40 - Workshop: Quality without Testing (James Sheasby Thomas)
20:10 - Break
20:20 - AI: Friendly Helper or Job-Stealing Menace? (Ian Smith)
20:50 - Wrap up
21:00 - Off to pub!

TALK: QA and Testing - A Retrospective (James Sheasby Thomas)

The term 'Quality Assurance' has a controversial reputation within the testing community - quality is subjective, so it cannot be assured, although it can be assessed, analysed, advocated for, questioned or improved. However it's also arguable that 'Testing' does not fully describe what modern testers do and the impact they can have on project success. Could there be a better label for the role that QA/Testing professionals perform in an agile context?

In this talk, James will discuss the limitations of both 'QA' and 'Testing' as labels, as well as previous attempts to define them. He will also explore the many ways that QAs/Testers in agile teams use their time and skills to help ensure project success and meaningful quality, and situations where our role overlaps with others. Attendees will be invited to contribute to the discussion and suggest possible alternative labels to 'QA' and 'Testing'.

WORKSHOP: Quality without Testing (James Sheasby Thomas)

Following on from James' talk, attendees will be split into groups and given a real world #testingfail scenario. Each group will identify non-testing activities that could be performed at a specific stage of the project to increase project quality, manage risk or reduce the chance of failure. At the end of the workshop, a representative from each group will present their ideas to the room.

TALK: AI: Friendly Helper or Job-Stealing Menace? (Ian Smith)

The hype around AI is growing ever stronger, and there are more and more examples of applications that make use of machine learning in a multitude of different ways. During this talk, Ian will examine the hype and the reality, and discuss the ways in which AI may have an impact on software testing and whether it is a friend or foe to testers.

As Head of Innovation at ROQ, Ian supports both clients and internal teams on embracing technology and fostering a thriving innovation culture. Prior to ROQ, Ian worked at IBM, moving from roles as an IT Architect into innovation leadership, delivering joint innovation programmes with IBM’s outsourcing clients. This involved him in all sorts of shenanigans, from running hackathons and IBM Design Thinking workshops, to teaching innovation and participating in university research projects.

Sponsors:

We are pleased to be sponsored by Fruition IT for this meetup. Without sponsorship putting on these events would simply not be possible. You can reach Fruition IT at http://www.fruitionit.co.uk/ and you'll be able to meet them on the night.