Maximizing the Value of a Small Team by Maturing Processes and Technology
One of the things that I do is help companies and business people implement a people, process, and technology golden triangle so that there is a solid foundation for growth, maturation and scalability in their organization. Though this is a complicated process, my role in this is to maximize the efficiency of these three things. You could be using the wrong technology, have too much technology, or not have enough. You could have a heavy process that burdens people or not enough process that…
September 28, 2017
BackstopJS Part Deux: Javascript Config and Makefile
I’ve written previously about my setup for BackstopJS (which I’m still excited to say is the creator-recommended tutorial for V2 of the package!). Since that article, I’ve switched from JSON to Javascript configuration, and added a Makefile as the main method of running visual regression tests with BackstopJS.
September 11, 2017
Comparing Drupal, Symfony, and Craft CMS Frameworks
With so many options available out there, it can be confusing to choose the right CMS for your business. When a client came to us with a recommendation from their design partner to build their solution in CraftCMS, we had to pause for a moment. Would CraftCMS be robust enough for their needs? Would it allow for growth and future proofing that they wanted? We took it upon ourselves to assess the strengths and capabilities of three notable CMS frameworks to help our client in their decision…
August 28, 2017
Using Serverless Config to Deploy an AWS CloudWatch Dashboard
My team’s most recent project has been really interesting - it’s a JavaScript project that includes using the Serverless Framework to deploy a variety of AWS Lambda Functions (e.g. uploading to S3 buckets and making requests to the API that we built). Part of my responsibility as QA Engineer was to set up a CloudWatch dashboard in AWS. Dashboards can be created manually in the CloudWatch service, but I wanted to create the dashboards through code deploys.
August 26, 2017
Is your company going to be digital or not?
A month after opening our 2nd office and meeting with people in Los Angeles, CA, one thing is very clear: companies know they need to move into the digital world, and they know they need help getting there.
August 17, 2017
DevOpsDays PDX
Last week, I attended my first DevOpsDays PDX! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but it seemed like a cool conference - DevOps obviously intersects with QA work, and my interest has been peaked by articles I’ve read from the likes of New Relic, Julia Evans, and Etsy.
August 10, 2017
Importance Of Software Testing
Testing is the first step in determining the quality of software.
Testing = Checking + Exploring
Despite the fact that the role of software testing may seem insignificant and few of us ever even think about it, this is especially true for people who are new to software development. The testing process is an equally integral part of development and planning. Sooner or later, many organizations that develop software have come to the realization that they need to organize a quality assurance…
August 1, 2017
Introducing Our L.A. Office
We are thrilled to formally announce the opening of a new Metal Toad office in Los Angeles! The expansion reflects our rapid rise in the software, mobile app and tech solutions fields, and growing demand from clients in the entertainment and media industries in Southern California.
July 20, 2017
The Value of a ScrumMaster
I went to ScrumMaster training a few weeks into my first job in an Agile project management environment. I was brand new to the methodology, and throughout the training and after, I didn't really understand the value of the ScrumMaster. “What an easy gig,” I thought. Even a year into practicing the methodology (as a member of the team, not the ScrumMaster) this was my understanding of the responsibilities:
Calendar: Schedule and start the Scrum ceremonies, and make sure everyone is attending…
July 17, 2017