The Latest

	Test Automation in an Agile Environment[article] Many of us keep asking: If the benefits of automated testing are so vast, why does test automation fail so often? Artem Nahornyy addresses this common dilemma.	Artem Nahornyy January 25, 2012
	From One Expert to Another: Dawn and Shannon Code[interview] Did you know that former Dawn Cannan, lover of all things testing, and her husband legally changed their names to Dawn Test Code and Shannon Null Code? In this interview, they discuss the reason for their name changes and what it means to have and show enthusiasm for what is important to you.	Joey McAllister January 24, 2012
	Defining Requirement Types: Traditional vs. Use Cases vs. User Stories[article] If you have recently transitioned to an agile team, you may have questions about the differences between user stories and use cases, especially how they differ from tradition requirements writing. In this article, Charles Suscheck defines each of these requirements types and uses a running example to illustrate how they differ in a real-world setting.	Charles Suscheck January 18, 2012
	Agility (and Learning Opportunities) Everywhere[article] People often ask, "Can I apply agile methods to something other than software development?" Since the basic appeal of agile methods is to acknowledge uncertainty by planning in increments, evaluating where you are relative to the plan and other forces, and planning the next increment, it seems like there should be no obstacle to following an agile approach for any project. The lurking question many have is, "Can my type of project really be structured in an incremental way?"	Steve Berczuk January 14, 2012
	Agile ALM for Delivering Customer Value: Back-end Disciplines[article] In this second part of a two-part series, Mario Moreira explores the back-end disciplines of a lifecycle that establishes an ALM framework centering on customer value. If your organization has adopted agile and you are looking at building your ALM framework, consider an infrastructure and tooling that will help you establish and build customer value throughout the lifecycle.	Mario Moreira January 12, 2012
	An Agile Software Shop: Spreading Agile Across Departments[article] In a medium to large software shop, where several groups are involved in the development of a product, implementing an agile methodology may be a challenge.	Rafael Alvarez January 11, 2012
	Once Upon A Retrospective[magazine] Children can teach us some extremely profound things--often when we least expect it. Jennitta Andrea shares sage advice about project retrospectives that she learned while perusing the well-known children's stories on her daughter's bookshelf. These insights will help improve the way you plan, facilitate, and participate in project retrospectives.	Jennitta Andrea January 10, 2012
	The Zero-Defect Vision: Common Sources of Errors in Development[article] Examine the common sources of errors in product development activities. By being aware of the things we can change in our environments, we can reach our goal of preventing errors. Then, a number of techniques can be employed in order to help teams work towards a zero-defect goal.	Bob Schatz January 4, 2012
	My Life as a Virtual Team Member: An Interview with Nanda Lankalapalli[interview] Inspired by the Better Software magazine article, "Make Your Tele-team Work," I spoke in more detail with Nanda Lankalapalli about what it's like to be a virtual team member and what it took to create a "Virtual Nanda."	Heather Shanholtzer January 2, 2012
	Content (and Creativity) Is King in 2012[magazine] A letter from the Better Software magazine editor.	Heather Shanholtzer January 1, 2012
	Mission Critical Agility[article] Video Jeff Norris explores key principles of agility from a fresh and entertaining perspective by drawing on inspiring stories of people who demonstrated agile work practices long before anyone had heard of a ScrumMaster. Come take a break from the rulebooks and taxonomies of the modern agile zoo and reflect on core traits that we all should embrace as we seek better ways of working.	TechWell Staff December 30, 2011
	Management Myth #1: The Myth of 100% Utilization[article] Too many managers believe in the myth of 100% utilization—the belief that every single technical person must be fully utilized every single minute of every single day. The problem with this myth is that there is no time for innovation, no time for serendipitous thinking, no time for exploration, and it often leads to a less successful organization.	Johanna Rothman December 29, 2011
	Empowering Agile Teams[article] Teams, when truly empowered, will always make better decisions than any one individual. Where can you empower teams as you adopt agile?	Jean Tabaka December 29, 2011
	Agile 2011: Ward Cunningham—Agile Manifesto, Ten Years Later and the Federated Wiki[article] Podcast Bob Payne chats with Ward about the tenth anniversary of the Agile Manifesto and his newest wiki project.	Bob Payne December 28, 2011
	Taking DevOps Mainstream[article] In this article, Shawn Edmondson describes how the rise of DevOps can be measured right alongside the rise of cloud in its level of mainstream acceptance. Learn how DevOps takes a common sense approach to development while using agile methodologies and automation at the same time.	Shawn Edmondson December 28, 2011

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