Re: Adversarial Testing, was Re: Thou shalt have no

From: Bryan Olson (nameless_at_nowhere.org)
Date: 02/22/05 

Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 01:11:32 GMT

Trevor L. Jackson, III wrote:
> Bryan Olson wrote:
>> My own vision for adversarial testing [...]
>
> This is a great theory but it fails in practice. The problem with it is
> that the relationships between the the developers and testers evolve to
> "game the system" with the result that the tension that should exist
> between them is dissipated. On of the keys to the creation of a market
> is the independence of hte transactions, which mandates independence of
> the participants.
>
> For a semi-formal treatement of such iterated transcatios see Axelrod's
> 1986 book "The Evolution of Cooperation". If the soldiers in the
> trenches of WWI were able to establish relationships that frustrated the
> generals what hope is there for mere managers of software development?

I may, or may not, have more to say after receiving and
(probably) reading Axelrod's book, but my vision does take into
account such considerations. There is no opportunity to increase
one's reward by gaming the system. At best (or, from my
perspective, worst), conspiring with other testers can reduce
one's effort.

Competition works. 

-- 
--Bryan
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