Normal service has resumed
So where was I.....
Ironically, whilst I have dedicated the last four years to writing, this blog has languished. Despite being able to write two complete books (more on those in a minute) I have struggled to write a single blog post for this site. It’s clear that I am out of the habit so it’s time to rebuild it again. As you may have noticed, the site has undergone a rebrand, so I wanted to kick-start the habit by sharing what I have been working on and my plans for this blog’s future.
What have I been working on?
My last post is dated October 2021, but that doesn’t mean I have been idle. So let me share what I’ve been working on.
Testing Web APIs is complete
My first book Testing Web APIs was released almost a year after my last blog in October 2022. I’m extremely proud of the book and how well it has been received. It’s been translated into Chinese and Japanese and has sold over 3500+ copies worldwide at the time of writing.
If you’ve not come across it yet and want to learn about the technique and strategy of Testing Web APIs I strongly recommend you pick up a copy from one of the following stores:
I’ll write a more detailed post on what the book covers in the future.
AI-Assisted Testing - Book #2 is almost complete
Because I am a glutton for punishment I am in the process of finishing my second book: AI-Assisted Testing. The book focuses on how Generative AI such as ChatGPT can be utilised as an aid in testing. It seeks to explain how Gen AI works, how we need to strike a balance between human and AI work as well as a collection of tips and tricks on prompt engineering, RAG and fine-tuning.
The book is currently in ‘Early Access’. Meaning that if you buy a copy today you get instant access to my early drafts, which you can give feedback on. Once the book is ready, you’ll get your print copy in the post. If you want to learn more about how Generative AI can be used with testing, you don’t want to miss out on this book.
Again, I’ll write a more detailed post on what the book covers in the future.
Moving back into a quality role
The eagle-eyed individuals on LinkedIn will have noticed that my role has recently changed at Ministry of Testing from OpsBoss to Course director. This is because I have returned to my first (professional) love, testing, and took a role as a Quality Engineer for John Lewis Partnership.
Working at Ministry of Testing has always been a dream of mine and I am proud of the work we did on things like 99 Minute Workshops, TestBashes (Home, UK, X) and especially the community curriculums which led to the creation of the MoT Certificates in Test Automation. However, those who know me know that I talk a lot about the ‘teaching paradox’. The more I teach, the less I am doing. And the less I am doing, the more my teaching goes out of date. Returning to software development means that I have the opportunity to refresh my skills and learn new ones as the testing industry moves further into the quality space. It’s an exciting time to be back in this type of role with the focus on quality and the increased use of AI within our roles.
I’m continuing to support the MoT Certificates in Test Automation and any future endeavours they need help with. Whilst also getting back into the code with my fantastic team at John Lewis Partnership.
Looking to the future of the blog
So that’s what I’ve been up to, but what about the future? What have I got planned? I wanted to share what I am interested in working on in the coming months to help commit myself to these ideas, whilst not necessarily setting out a priority.
Host me at your next Test team meeting
Over the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to various teams about my AI and Web API books and testing/automation in general. Jumping on a call for an hour to answer a team’s questions has meant I have been able to share my thoughts with a wide range of individuals as well as help me focus my ideas. So, I am offering the following:
I will join your team for an hour to answer any questions on testing, automation and AI for free
I am offering to come attend one of your testing team meetings or community of practise days for an hour online and answer any questions you might have on a wide range of topics in testing. Especially Artificial intelligence, for free. That’s right, for free, no strings attached.
If this is something that you’d like to take advantage of feel free to connect with me on the following platforms and send me a message to get something organised:
The site has got a rebrand
One of the blockers for blogging has been the site itself. Moving the site to GhostCMS helps me because it integrates directly with my writing tools and reduces noise with its easy-to-use templates. Plus the newsletter feature and paid tier options open new opportunities in the future.
New blog posts incoming
With the site updated, I am hoping to get back into a cadence of publishing a post at least once a week. I have a range of topics that I want to cover, but here are a few I have in mind:
- Testing Web APIs cutting room floor - Sections that were cut out of my first book that might prove useful for others.
- Insights into automation strategy - There is a lot I still want to share about automation strategies and tactics.
- Questions and exploration into Artificial intelligence - There are a lot of questions and areas of AI that I want to explore further that I want to share about. I also have a backlog of questions from AMAs on AI that I think are worth exploring in more detail.
Open source projects
My free-to-use projects such as restful-booker and restful-booker-platform need attention as well. I hope to get these updated and expanded and offer ways in which you can suggest features and help me make these projects the perfect aid for learning about testing.
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If any of this sounds of interest to you, then sign up to my blog to get my latest blog in your inbox as soon as it goes live.
And that’s it! I’m excited to see where this blog goes in the future. I have much more that I would like to do such as courses and podcasts, but for now, it’s time to get back into the blogging habit.
