The Kaner Story

Hi, My name is David Burns I am a Software test Engineer for a shop in Redmond Washington. If you know me in our area you might have heard me referred to as “The Kaner story”. But it wasn’t always so, let me explain.
For 14 years I assisted surgeons in the operating room, doing shock trauma surgery. I traveled across the country and worked in the biggest and busiest operating rooms in the USA. Eventually I ended up in Seattle, looking to move up in the field of Surgical Technology (after doing over 30,000 trauma cases as well as orthopedic specialties like total hip and knee replacement, it was time to impart my knowledge.)so, I became a teacher in Bellevue and developed and ran the surgical technology program with a classroom as well as Laboratory activities. In 2007, the school I was teaching in closed down, and I got a gig with a small company as a corporate trainer. This particular company had me teaching technicians how to use a PDA with some pages added to the UI by a developer ,the company hired to write code. Of course, they needed the pages tested so I was briefly trained on how to do this. Mostly UI testing with some bug reporting, both verbal and written. Shortly thereafter, my contract ran out with them and I was once again faced with the challenge of finding work in an economy that was quickly taking a nose dive right into the shitter. On unemployment and going nowhere fast I wanted to try and keep the meager testing skills I possessed sharp as well as develop them into a meaningful career. I really enjoyed testing the small project I was on before, it was like surgery, deconstructing something and finding the cancerous areas, only no blood and guts. My wife gave me a book to read that she said was imperative for me to develop my career as a test engineer, Testing Computer Software by Kaner,Falk and Ngeyen. I dove right into the book ,even though I had no idea what half the stuff in there was talking about, I asked questions to anyone I knew in the industry about the book and took it everywhere I went .I put my resume out on the market but received very few hits as I was so green and stumbled through the few interviews , scaring the interviewee with my answers ( but at one of the interviews I was asked to test a triangle, the first input I entered broke their testing program and 2 developers appeared like CIA to stand over me and watch me repro what I had done so they could fix it! I have to say I was elated that I had successfully broken their testing program used for interviews! I was later told by friends in the industry that I should have gotten the job just for that fact. But much bigger and better things awaited me and my fate lay elsewhere in the industry) desperate to develop my newly honed skills I took a job making minimum wage at a game test lab. I have coined the term “nerd heard” for this job, as hundreds of unwashed youth would pour into the secure labs each day and sit with headphones on “testing” games in a semi-conscience state. I quickly found out that the Kaner book DID apply to this lowly position that did not even come close to supplementing my unemployment. I COULD test, I was testing, and using my kaner book as a guide or How to, I began writing bug reports on the back of pieces of scrap paper. After a month I found myself slipping into my teaching shoes and showing those around me who were interested, how to write a bug, reading straight from my trusty Kaner book. I was hardly an expert, but figured sharing what I knew could be a start for anyone. I would come in to the game test lab on days I was not scheduled to work and hope someone would not show up, so I could get another crack at breaking one of the games. I was sitting in the cafeteria when I noticed 2 gentlemen talking over the proverbial water cooler. I noticed looking over my Kaner book that one of them kept looking my way as if he knew me. After a bit , he came over and stuck a meaty hand out that looked like it had seen the better side of a river paddle more than once. “HI, I’m a test manager in another department “he said as he shook my hand, “and I have a question for you. That book your reading, why are you reading it?” I was little surprised at his question but answered back without hesitation,” because I want to be a great tester and I was told this book would help”. Well, that was the beginning to the current position I now hold as a Software Test Engineer. After the story had been passed around the “campfire” a bit, I simply began to be known as The Kaner Story. Thanks to the patience, instruction and belief in me by my Practice area leader and my team, I am one of the leading experts in our shop on Persona Development and User Stories. I manage our test cases, write them, and execute them along side my co-workers. I have been given the opportunity to Lead a test project and teach my team some of the things I have learned. I am not there yet, but am surely developing into the great Software tester I seek to become. I am …. The Kaner Story.