Weekend testing – modus operandi

Weekend testing is about testers signing on to collaboration platforms, such as Skype or Google Talk, and getting started with testing at a specified time, as announced on the weekend testing website. In the group of testers, a tester assumes the role of a facilitator to bring seriousness to the mission for the session.

The bugs discovered in the course of testing are logged in a source bug database (such as Bugzilla) and followed by a debrief session. The session transcript is then posted with the results for everyone to see and analyze. The results are also shared with the client, as per the testing assignment. Weekend testing thrives on the use of open source and free tools. With so many willing, skilled, and available testers, weekend testing has become a popular forum from which testers learn, network, and earn money. With a wide variety of products to test and a myriad of testing missions to try out, there is something new to learn from every session. With people across the globe participating in these forums, we gain access to an interesting cross-section of skills and cultural trends. Although we are seeing a gradual adoption of this method, we must be wary of any risks it can bring to suppliers' reputations, such as security threats to customer knowledge assets and other operational challenges.