Lateral Tester Exercise III – Something Completely Different Rikard Edgren
You can learn a lot by testing something very different from your normal job. I’d love to professionally test a suggested law, or a chainsaw. For now, I give you an opportunity to test a bread recipe, in English or Swedish.
It should be possible to bake from it if you know, or can learn, how to breed a sourdough, and bake any bread. I’m interested in correctness, ease of use, inspiration and taste (the last one only for the bread, not the documentation) and other things you think might be worth knowing about.
If you only have a little time and interest, the challenge is to come up with the different test strategies you would use.
Test results in comments or in mail (About page) are more than welcome!
Just a quite look… I didn’t have time to do the “practical/hands-on part of the test” – but did some of the analysis, and highlighted questions to follow-up, or tests to make.
Techniques used – “Look for Framing issues”, “look for context-free statements”, “comparator testing” & “domain specific identification”
I started gathering information – my first effort was to read through both and to see if I got the same information and impression from both – this threw up some questions already. This is also comparable with reading a requirement or project goal/assignment a couple of times, maybe from a slightly different perspective, with a different audience/group and highlighting more questions.
– comparing the English and Swedish version and found some discrepancies (or ambiguities)
(this could be equivalent to talking to different people – requirement interpreters – looking for framing discrepencies)
“100g of your favorite whole-grain” – whole-grain “what” I would wonder instinctively – I can see the answer in the Swedish list, but it doesn’t jump out at me in the English list. [A context-free statement/requirement -> usually point to unwritten/unspoken requirements]
“350g lukewarm water” – I’m not used to seeing water as a weight – it makes me think is 350g cold water (from a cold water tap -> ¨8c) the same amount as 350g boiling water. A requirement to check – was it a typo, is there a usual way it is measured?
– “Ferment / fermenting” – I usually associate with drink/beer. I understand “jäs” from my own bread making attempts – so maybe the word is “rise” – let the dough rise.
– “oöm” – a better translation than untender might be hardy, durable or robust – but I’d check this with the requirement giver.
– what is a dough starter – maybe I don’t have the domain knowledge here, and need to bring someone else in.
– 2nd para – how much is “risen considerably”. “rejält större” I might interpret as nearly twice the size (at least) – but that’s my “gut feeling”. Check with requirement giver. [Context-free reqs]
-2nd para – “beroende på temp” / “depending on the temp” – does a warmer temperature make it go quicker. (Inutitvely I’d say yes). But then there the question – where does “room temp” (21c?) sit on that scale? Check this…
– 2nd para – should I mix it in a bowl or on a table/board – does it make a difference? Maybe something to test.
– letting it cool on a “galler” is missing from the English list – I’d guess this this will not only affect the rate at which it cools, but will also result in a different crust on the bottom. Test for this? [This is an example of “comparator testing”]
That’s all I had time for – nice challenge!
Thanks a lot Simon, the recipe will get better by your comments.
A test idea was to let an English speaker review, but someone who knows both Swedish and English is of course better.
You caught most of my translation guesses, and “galler” is omitted because I didn’t know if “grid” was a proper translation.
I’ll give you a sourdough starter, and one of these days you’ll say:
“it’s unbelievable I haven’t been baking my own sourdough bread”