Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 21:32:55 -0500 From: Withall Subject: Boston SPIN Meeting Announcement (NOTE: New Building Location at Mitre - This Meeting Only) - Tuesday January 14, 2003 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM Software Process Improvement Network (SPIN) Meeting Announcement PLEASE NOTE: (New Building Location at Mitre - Building M - This Meeting Only) Topic: Shattering the Myth of the Inadequate Tester Speaker: Johanna Rothman When: Tuesday, January 14, 2003 6:00pm-8:30pm 6:00-6:45 Networking and Round Tables 7:00-7:10 Announcements 7:10-8:10 Presentation 8:10-8:30 Questions and Answers Who: Everyone (Industry, Government, Academia) Location: The MITRE Corporation, 202 Burlington Rd. (Rt. 62), Building M, Bedford, MA 01730 NOTE: Because of security concerns, you'll need a Picture ID and any large items you bring will be opened and inspected when you arrive. NOTE: The earliest arrival time is 5:15pm. No one will be admitted prior to that time. The building is secured at 9pm. All attendees must have left the building by that time. Info: See our web page for information and directions, Note: Boston SPIN meetings are free. No RSVP is necessary. Abstract: Shattering the Myth of the Inadequate Tester Why do projects “fail” in the test phase? Do teams have inadequate testers? Are they not doing adequate testing? Is the entire test organization inadequate? We’ve heard blaming comments about testing and product quality since organizations decided they needed testing groups. Instead of blaming the testers for being inadequate, let’s talk about the testing. Why are so many organizations dissatisfied with their testing activities and perceive those activities to be inadequate? Why are we building organizations whose staff can’t perform the required work? In this presentation, Johanna will look at how organizations tend to hire testers and other technical people, and alternatives to those techniques. This talk is for you if you’d like to refine your hiring requirements for great testers (or other great technical staff), or if you’d like to become a great tester (or be hired as one). About the Speaker: Johanna Rothman consults on managing high technology product development. She helps managers, teams, and organizations become more effective by focusing on project management, risk management, and people management. Johanna uses pragmatic techniques to help her clients apply effective practices that create successful teams and projects. A frequent speaker and author on managing high technology product development, Johanna has written numerous articles and is now a columnist for Software Development, StickyMinds.com, and Computerworld.com. Johanna publishes Reflections, an acclaimed quarterly newsletter about managing product development. Johanna is a member of the clinical faculty of The Gordon Institute at Tufts University, a practical management degree program for engineers, and served as the Program Chair for the Software Management Conference for two years. Johanna’s book: Hiring Technical People will be available in 2003. About the Roundtables: Roundtables are focused group or "birds-of-a-feather" discussions, with a facilitator, to stimulate and moderate discussion. Roundtables are held during the Networking portion of the SPIN meeting from 6:00 to 6:45. Roundtable topics will be announced on our "Reminder" e-mail notification. Directions: Revised Directions to Building M - This Meeting Only: Coming from 128 South or North 1. Take Exit 32A onto Route 3 North. 2. Proceed two miles on Route 3 North and take the first Exit 26 (for Route 62 Bedford). 3. Go down the ramp to the traffic signal. 4. You may either proceed to the main entrance to the MITRE campus on Route 62 or enter through the side entrance on Crosby Dr. 5. To enter through the main entrance, at the end of the ramp turn right on Route 62. 6. At the first set of lights, take an immediate left into MITRE. 7. Bear left and follow the drive to the end. 8. Turn right at the one-story garage on your right and then immediately turn right into the parking lot in front of the garage. 9. The entrance to M Building is directly off the center of this parking lot (opposite the garage). OR 5. To enter through the side entrance, at the end of the exit ramp (traffic signal) continue straight across Route 62 onto Crosby Drive. 6. After a short hill, take the first right into the MITRE campus. 7. Follow the drive past one incoming road on the right and turn right into the parking lot immediately after the one-story garage on your right. 8. The entrance to M Building is directly off the center of this parking lot (opposite the garage). From New Hampshire or Points North on Route 3 1. Take Route 3 South to Exit 26 (for Route 62 Bedford). 2. At the end of the exit ramp, at the traffic signal turn Left on Route 62. 3. To enter through the main entrance, go under Route 3 and proceed to the second traffic signal. 4. Take an immediate left into the main entrance to the MITRE campus. 5. Bear left and follow the drive to the end. 6. Turn right at the one-story garage on your right and then immediately turn right into the parking lot in front of the garage. 7. The entrance to M Building is directly off the center of this parking lot (opposite the garage). OR 3. To enter through the side entrance, Go under Route 3 and proceed to the first traffic signal. 4. Turn left onto Crosby Drive. 5. After a short hill, take the first right into the MITRE campus. 6. Follow the drive past one incoming road on the right and turn right into the parking lot immediately after the one-story garage on your right. 7. The entrance to M Building is directly off the center of this parking lot (opposite the garage). From Logan Airport 1. Go through tunnel to Route 93 North. 2. Take Route 93 North eleven miles to Exit 37B (Route 128 (I-95) South). 3. Take Route 128 (I-95) South six miles to Exit 32A (Route 3 North). 4. Follow the instructions above, "Coming from 128 South or North". Cancellations (including weather cancellations): We will notify the membership via email to the SPIN distribution list, post the notice on the SPIN web page, and send the cancellation announcement to Channel 7 TV and radio, WRKO AM 680 starting at 3pm. SPIN Sponsors: MITRE Corp., Bedford, MA, Raytheon Corp., Lexington, MA, Edelman & Associates, We thank the Computer Science department of UMass-Lowell for providing support and hosting our web page.