Available now on Lulu, Tim Hunter’s new book ‘Prudent Pathways To Quality’, price £14.99 paperback, £7.50 download.

Publisher: Yorview, ISBN: 978-0-9562357-0-1
Paperback A5, 5.83" x 8.26”, 237 pages

Order your copy here

'I agree with many of the sentiments in this book…. There is much useful material, and the author does highlight various issues affecting quality and offers solutions.. Much of what the author states is true, and will be recognised by any experienced QA and testing person.'  British Computer Society Book Review, January 2010

Don’t Be Brainwashed. Take the Prudent Pathway.

The generic players in this scenario are testers and developers. Anyone who upholds quality standards is the tester and the ones who seek to get their products or projects accepted are the developers.

The problem is that those who seek to uphold standards are fighting a losing battle. IT testing is being made into a toothless, ‘rubber stamping’ exercise. In the educational world, the teacher/pupil relationship is being distorted to make the teacher responsible for the pupil’s failings. The quality of the truth is declining in public life. Look, for example, at the infamous ‘dodgy’ dossier which was used to justify the Iraq war. Technology is far in advance of what anyone really needs. How many of the hundreds of cable channels really have worthwhile content? Technology is being developed faster than its users can comfortably absorb it.

The book shows how Quality Driven Development can be used to resolve the conflict between the priorities of ‘the project’ and the sometimes inconvenient truth revealed by formal testing. Find out how to turn Bad IT into Good and enter the glittering City of Quality.

‘The book basically looks at how we measure success. A lack of agreed measures of success, according to the National Audit office, is one of the 8 most common causes of project failure’ [1], said author Tim Hunter. ‘I have worked in IT for 30 years, so the book draws from that experience and is oriented towards IT world. I believe, however, that the book will be of interest to all those who have started to see through the low-quality, dystopian world around us which we are all being brainwashed into accepting.’

The Prudent Pathway:

• Enforces structure and discipline without stifling creativity.
• Doesn’t unduly restrict the international nature of IT, with its free-flow of employment and skills, but equally doesn’t totally run-down a nation’s indigenous skill base.
• Recognises that the ‘job-for-life’ has gone, and understands the contribution that the freelance workers, particularly highly experienced ones, can bring to projects.
• Brings clarity, honesty and objectivity to the process of measuring success.

About the author

Tim Hunter is an English Writer, IT Consultant, political campaigner and musician based in Yorkshire. He has written many articles, about IT and politics and has also had his music broadcast on local and National Radio. He has 30 years’ experience of IT development, testing and technical support, gained in major companies throughout the UK and Europe.