The role of the software tester is continuing to evolve, becoming more complex and more technical. As new methodologies, technologies, and platforms emerge, testers are bombarded with new, so-called "best practices" on how to do their jobs. The problem is that testers have heard the same songs with different lyrics for more than twenty years now. Clint Sprauve takes a contrarian’s view of testing and the quality assurance industry. He examines some of today’s typical testing "best practices"-keyword-driven testing, requirements traceability, the tester’s role in agile development, quality reporting, tool expertise, and quality certification programs-while providing alternative approaches for how to view each practice.