Better Software Articles

I Take It (Almost) All Back

Turn to The Last Word, where software professionals who care about quality give you their opinions on hot topics. This month, an industry expert explains why he changed his mind about the value of exploratory testing—well, mostly.

From Invisible to Invaluable

Need a place to go to get the solutions you've been craving? Management Fix is what you've been looking for. In this issue, find out how to create visibility for your team.

Don't Beg to Differ

We're pleased to bring you technical editors who are well respected in their fields. Get their take on everything that relates to the industry, technically speaking. In this issue, read why some arguments aren't worth having.

Location! Location! Location!

In real estate, it's not so much which house you buy as where you buy it. The same is true for bugs—the bug itself isn't as important as pinpointing where the bug lives and breeds. Learn one way to track down a bug's true source and prevent it from recurring.

Just Use It!

Like exercise, usability testing is something we all say we want to do but somehow never get around to doing. Yet, as the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Find out how to take the first steps toward a real usability testing regimen.

The Liar's Contest

Politics is a game we're asked to participate in each and every day. But when your project's future is on the line, do you want to play around? The penalties and risks surely outweigh any reward. Discover how to extricate yourself from these losing battles.

Secure the Parameter!

Read about one of the most common Web security bugs, parameter violation. Find out what it is, how it works, and how you can secure your site against it.

(Not So) Trivial Pursuits

How one tester learned the hard way that quality is in the eye of the pocketbook holder.

What Is Quality, Anyway?

All year long we've been asking people in every phase of the software development lifecycle to tell us what quality means to them. We found that while most agree on what quality is, there's still controversy over how to achieve it.

An Ounce of Prevention

Turn to The Last Word, where software professionals who care about quality give you their opinions on hot topics. This month, find out why Matthew Heusser thinks that quality problems should be prevented, not cured.