[TIP] testing: why bother?

[Alfredo Deza]

On Wed, Mar 23, 2011 at 9:23 AM, Benji York <benji at benjiyork.com> wrote:

> On Wed, Mar 23, 2011 at 9:06 AM, Alfredo Deza <alfredodeza at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > I am about to give a presentation about testing in a couple of days
> > and the audience is in its majority a  "we do not write tests" one :(
> > If you had to name the single most important reason why you need to
> > write tests (or keep up with them) what would that reason be?
>
> Having good test hygiene is -- for me at least -- not something that
> comes naturally. I don't really want to write tests, but when I don't
> the results are so painful that my resolve is renewed.
>
> > One thing to consider though is to think about the problem from their
> > perspective: "Why do I need to write tests?"
>
> It's hard to convince people to take vitamins (do things that will make
> their lives better in the future) but it's not hard to get them to take
> aspirin (do things to relieve a present pain).  Perhaps if you knew the
> kinds of pain they are feeling and showed them that tests could help,
> you could get through to them.
>

Great analogy! It is hard to tell the problems they want to solve though so
I am aiming to be as generalized about it as possible.

>
> > I know that I get the best quality testing-related answers here :)
>
> An appeal to vanity; you're already on the road to mass persuasiveness.
> --
> Benji York
>
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