I ask questions

…I am reading at the moment a foreign-language book.
This is challenging - both: the content and non-standard linguistical expressions.
And now you know, why I am at the moment not so much participating online (see here).

How long has it been since you were busy with a really challenging book ? (please do not reply here, just answer this question for yourself truly)

Erkan YILMAZ

Today we 4 (Andre, Erkan, Martin, Widodo) went to the park to play some table tennis. Well, since there were some already playing table tennis, we explored the playing machines nearby.

Here are some pictures:

I am boarding the carrousel:

ok, let’s make some speed to have fun:

hm, perhaps this was a little too much speed

ok, after that shock, let’s go for slow speed:

After it was our turn to play table tennis, we fought some hard battles against two brothers. Both are well known local heroes and aspirants for the title “table tennis professionals from Karlsruhe“: Salvatore and Giuseppe. Both are cool kids and I think we have made some new friends today.

BTW: here you see Salvatore giving Widodo a hard time

After that game: what might Widodo think?
Perhaps: “What did go wrong in that game?”

(btw: Martin and Andre also did not look well against the two - but unfortunately I have no pictures of that. In return for that I did let both brothers sweat a little.)

Erkan YILMAZ

Don’t miss Pradeep Soundararajan’s first audio podcast about: “Indian testers and fake experience”
I tell only the title, the rest Pradeep will tell you with his own voice: click here to listen (6:38 mins)

Please mail your comments to him

Erkan YILMAZ

After reading Christian’s article addicted about his book-buying-adventure, I feel the need to also post about this topic. For my books-to-buy-list I am still searching for some children’s books. And the kid in me needs your help !

I have recently read Peter Pan and I am thinking about the next to be:

- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
- The Book of One Thousand and One Nights
- Akbar and Birbal Stories

But I would use this opportunity to also get some advise by you too. Which children’s book did you like most as child ? Or which book should you read over and over again to your child ?

Erkan Yilmaz

When I looked in the morning outside I saw already Christian how he was learning (he has an exam on Tuesday).

(btw: you see also the place where I play table tennis - so, if you once drop by, let’s have a game)

Well, I could not let Chris learn all alone and learned with him:

Later - while interrogating him - also some other creatures showed interest in the topics: soil science, irrigation and erosion

In Germany we had a week of bad weather. And now with sun coming out - also children and animals did so. There was so much life going on: cries of children, animals of different sizes everywhere, also some nice looking ladies
I think I will relocate my learning place - then I am also away from distraction on the pc - there is nothing better than a book in the warm sun. And letting your thoughts wander while watching children play.

P.S. I hope everyone had a happy Mother’s Day.
Erkan YILMAZ

What you should know, before you read the article:
Why I am writing on this issue ?
This goes out to all software vendors: I am a potential customer who is not allowed to use the software and has to search for other ways to achieve his goal. If you want me to use your software in the future, please change some things. E.g. make a basic installer (like the REAL Alternative), so I can still succeed.
Well, it is interesting that with free software you can do what the company itself is not able to But if someting does not work then at least give me a proper dialog: in a good translated version. Read also later: “Does your customer smile when (s)he is confronted with an error? No - why not?“

I just wanted to install the Real Player 10.5 GOLD de to view a rm file. But I can not use it on Longhorn server:

I am told that users with restricted rights are not allowed to use it - and I should contact my sysadmin.

Well, Erkan then thinks: “OK, let me login as admin - who knows perhaps it is because of something weird in UAC.”
Unfortunately when I start the installer as admin, I get the same msg.

So, I assume what they really want to tell me is: that I should not use this software on Longhorn Server.

BTW:
the Freeware Real Alternative 1.52 can install on Longhorn and also plays the rm file

Unfortunately I did not find a public forum where I can look up for similar errors. Also googling did not help much.
Perhaps someone has similar experience with Vista too ? (btw: this site shows me Vista or Longhorn server is not in the supported OS list.)

Let me ask the REAL support about this. (BTW: I want to help also Real with this posting - so other users have not the same problem. Please see this all as positive feedback.)

Actually about the dialog:
1. the first sentence of the message is quite dazzling:
As user with restricted rights in the windows OS you are not allowed to use this program for installing software. (”Als Benutzer mit eingeschränkten Rechten im Windows-Betriebssystem dürfen Sie dieses Programms zur Installation von Software nicht verwenden.”)

Does it appear only for me as bad German ? I would expect such a message: As user with restricted rights in the windows OS you are not allowed to install this program. (”Als Benutzer mit eingeschränkten Rechten im Windows-Betriebssystem dürfen Sie dieses Programm nicht installieren.”)

2. there is a spelling error

My Basic System Information:
Microsoft® Windows® Server™ Code Name “Longhorn” Datacenter
6.0.6001 Service Pack 1, v.126 Build 6001
AMD Athlon Xp 1800+, 1,25 GB RAM
(more info available on request with a msinfo32 file)

Erkan YILMAZ

Are you a person who uses open source software ?
Do you like it ?
Did you spend until now time to make it better ?

For the first question your answer might be: yes
If the answer for the second is also yes, I would be interested in the third answer.

With this posting I do not want to tell you about the many advantages as a tester to use open source software (practicing your skills; getting to know other, public, collaborative projects; …). No, I ONLY want to invite you to help (if I think about how many people out there could help, my head is swimming).

I am sure, if you give the open source community feedback, they will appreciate this, because:
1. it will be feedback
2. it will be (hopefully) good communicated feedback about a bug or feature

Would it cost so much for you to help ?
Don`t be a parasite - pay back ! Start here ! You can do this right now on your pc !
Use your skills for something good !

Erkan YILMAZ

Unfortunately I did not have much time lately to do my “normal” online tasks. I was busy with: Microsoft Windows Server (TM) Code Name “Longhorn” beta 3

I will catch up with you !
Erkan

Pradeep created some time ago this screen saver “Heuristics and Testing” (download here).

I like the idea very much and here is now the opportunity to judge yourself.
BTW: it “… has been officially installed on all testers machines in 2 organizations in India so far.” (Pradeep Soundararajan)
needed OS: Win2K or XP

Here you can find the PPS version.

After Ben asked here if “square” and “Spießer” have the same meaning, I asked some online translation services. The translation of the German term “Spießer” revealed following:

I present the not-winners of the day for this specific term (I do not use term loser with purpose):
IATE (result)
Google Translator (result) and
Babelfish (result)
(or could be said following ? IATE was so honest to tell nothing, instead telling something wrong or something which does not make sense - or does there exist a term “spiesser” in English ?)

From the results one could infer perhaps “Spießer” should be translated with “bourgeois” or “babbitt” ? But I will ask better a native English speaking person to help me out here. Perhaps someone who knows the context of the term since our recent slogan game

Erkan YILMAZ

btw: why do I post about such things ?
- to help Michael and others to assess the quality of online translation services
- I am curious and might gain some interesting info (e.g. do some services use the same database: Beolingus and ergo4u; Google Translator and Babelfish ?)
- you never know where and when you can see a bug. E.g. is the behaviour of Google translator and Babelfish wrong ?
a. From my point of view: yes.
BUT: “A bug is anything about the product that threatens its value. And: Quality is value to some person (who matters).” (James Bach and Michael Bolton, Rapid Software Testing, slide 12, slide version 2.1.3)
And I am not sure, if I matter at Google
So far, I am not quite sure, if there exists really such an English term “spiesser”. So let me ask someone, because I do not know (also: cost value factor of asking a native English speaking person is better than me now doing a search - well: it is also a little late - I hope you excuse me for that). Let’s see what I can investigate afterwards.
b. From your point of view: ?

edit 2007 May 04:
I got a ping and “square” seems the best translation (when used to refer to a person)
and this would make LEO the winner of the day

edit 2007 August 21:
there is an updated graphic available - which includes also dict.cc and woerterbuch.info - see here

Below you will find some German slogans.

And ? Where is the relevance to testing ?
Well, do you agree, that during testing we arrive at situations where we do not have always every info ? Why is this ?

One explanation could be:
Information transmits faster, if there is included pictures/sound or it is packed meaning into the sentences (e.g. by using proverbs, schema, concepts, categories, analogies, metaphors, associations, …).
But the problem may be, that recipients do not have access to this additional info (e.g. slogans from other countries).

So, read these slogans please. And find out if you can guess the products they advertise for (and eventually the companies) !

1. “Hey Dad, when I grow up, I also want to be square.”
2. “We wake up earlier.”
3. “We can do everything but speak Standard German.”
4. “With the second eye you see better.”
5. “Firm as a rock in the surge.”
6. “We demand and bring forward personalities.”
7. “Try it in a gentle way.”
8. “It was never so valuable as in these times.”
9. “If it makes you beautiful…”
10. “Well, is today already christmas ?”

DO NOT CONTINUE - STOP - THINK ABOUT THE SLOGANS !

the history to this post:
I read here some slogans from USA. From that there awoke the idea to collect some slogans from German speaking countries and present them to non-German people.

BTW:
- here you can find info that helps you (but for the sake of learning, click it later - if ever).
- since the target group is non German people, I will not translate this post yet into German

Erkan YILMAZ

I was reading Ben’s article “Slogans are models“. And there appeared the term “picker-upper”, which I did not know.

I used my favorite service LEO first. But this did not help much (I could have worked me up from the verbs, but …). Then I used dictionary.com and I got an explanation (I hope it is the right one ):
picker-upper: something that restores one’s depleted energy or depressed spirits

I take this now as an opportunity to search the term in some of the English to German services (see also Michael’s article):
Google Translator
Babelfish
LEO
Beolingus
ego4u
PONSline
IATE
Merriam-Webster

Unfortunately all have failed in providing me a (good) translation (I searched for “picker upper” and “picker-upper” ). Also my paper dictionary from PONS with 170000 terms could not help me.
It could appear from this, the term is not so much used. Actually I can not believe this. Imagine: after a long night in the morning probably some would need a picker-upper.

So, the winner THIS TIME is dictionary.com

BTW: let me provide some associations for “picker-upper”:
coffee; a hit into your face; red bull; a kid being tortured; a pretty woman; a joke; …

Erkan YILMAZ