Jamie Mitchell’s Acknowledgements

What a long, strange trip it’s been. The last 30 years have taken me from being a bench technician, fixing electronic audio components, to this time and place, where I have cowritten a book on some of the most technical aspects of software testing. It’s a trip that has been both shared and guided by a host of people that I would like to thank.

To the many at both Moravian College and Lehigh University who started me off in my “Exciting Career in Computers,” for your patience and leadership that instilled in me a burning desire to excel, I thank you.

To Terry Schardt, who hired me as a developer but made me a tester, thanks for pushing me to the dark side. To Tom Mundt and Chuck Awe, who gave me an incredible chance to lead, and to Barindralal Pal, who taught me that to lead was to keep on learning new techniques, thank you.

To Dean Nelson, who first asked me to become a consultant, and Larry Decklever, who continued my training, many thanks. A shout-out to Beth and Jan, who participated with me in “choir rehearsals” at Joe Senser’s when things were darkest. Have one on me.

To my colleagues at TCQAA, SQE, and QAI who gave me chances to develop a voice while I learned how to speak, my heartfelt gratitude. To the people I am working with at ISTQB and ASTQB: I hope to be worthy of the honor of working with you and expanding the field of testing. Thanks for the opportunity.

In my professional life, I have been tutored, taught, mentored, and shown the way by a host of people whose names deserve to be mentioned, but the list is too abundant to recall every name. I would like to give all of you a collective thanks; I would be poorer for not knowing you.

To all the bosses who never fired me while I struggled to learn test automation—failing too many times to count—allowing me the luxury of learning the lessons that made me better at it: a collective shout-out to you. One specific mention: Kudos to Dag Roppe, my team leader, who let me build a keyword-driven framework in the late 90’s that was a wild success until the 16-bit tool finally maxed out and caused the whole architecture to fold in on itself: I appreciate your patience and regret you lost your job for letting me go so long on my seminal failure.

To Rex Black, for giving me a chance to coauthor the Advanced Technical Test Analyst course and this book: Thank you for your generosity and the opportunity to learn at your feet. For my partner in crime, Judy McKay: Even though our first tool attempt did not fly, I have learned a lot from you and appreciate both your patience and kindness. Hoist a fruity drink from me. To Laurel and Dena and Leslie: Your patience with me is noted and appreciated. Thanks for being there.

In the spirit of “It Takes a Village,” no one really works alone today. While writing this book, I got help from several people who tried to keep me on the straight and narrow. I want to especially thank Amr Ali who added valuable input in his timely book reviews and gave me many valued suggestions during the review period. I would also like to thank Leslie Segal who provided deep insight into several topics while I worked on this book.

And finally, to my family, who have seen so much less of me over the last 30 years than they might have wanted, as I strove to become all that I could be in my chosen profession; words alone cannot convey my thanks. To Beano, who spent innumerable hours helping me steal the time needed to get through school and set me on the path to here, my undying love and gratitude. To my loving wife, Susan, who covered for me at many of the real-life tasks while I toiled, trying to climb the ladder: my love and appreciation. I might not always remember to say it, but I do think it. And to my kids, Christopher and Kimberly, who have always been smarter than me but allowed me to pretend that I was the boss of them, thanks. Your tolerance and enduring support have been much appreciated.

Last, and probably least, to “da boys,” Baxter and Boomer, Bitzi and Buster, and now our renegade Mozart: Whether sitting in my lap while I was trying to learn how to test or sitting at my feet while I was writing this book, you guys have been my sanity check. You never cared how successful I was, as long as the doggie chow appeared in your bowls, morning and night. May your tails wag forever, here and over the rainbow bridge. Thanks.