In today's episode, we're thrilled to host Mike Verinder, a veteran in the automation testing space and the brain behind some of the most prominent LinkedIn groups and communities for tools like Playwright and Selenium.

Mike discusses the intricacies of job engagement in the testing community, managing thriving online groups, and all things related to automation tools.

We'll explore Mike's extensive background, which includes managing vast online communities, how to grow them, and the importance of continuous learning in software testing.

Whether you're a seasoned tester or just starting, this episode is packed with practical and valuable takeaways to help you stay ahead in your automation testing career. You'll leave here feeling empowered and ready to implement these insights.

Accessibility is more than just a checkbox; it's become a civil right and a human need. Today, we'll explore how proper automation can elevate your accessibility testing to the next level.

Check out our sponsors accessibility automation tool now: https://testguild.me/astack

In today's episode, "Automation and Accessibility: Mutual, Not Exclusive," Crystal Preston-Watson, a senior digital accessibility analyst at Salesforce, joins us.

This session was taken from our Automation Guild 2022 online event, where Crystal took us on an insightful journey, addressing higher-level questions and critical issues related to accessibility testing, specifically in automation.

She also covers the essential considerations teams must consider before diving into accessibility automation.

Learn about the different types of accessibility testing—manual, automation, and user acceptance—and discover why automated tools alone aren't enough to ensure proper accessibility.

Listen in to discover the importance of experience with accessibility, the need for company-wide support and capacity, and best practices for combining manual and automated testing.

By the way, to get on the waitlist for the lowest prices on tickets for the next Automation Guild event in February, go to automationguild.com now.

And speaking of accessibility testing, I wanted to share an automated accessibility tool from this episode's sponsor, Browserstack.

In this episode, we discuss what QE should know about security testing with our distinguished guest, Boris Arapovic, a senior quality engineer and director of quality assurance at IBM IX.

Discover how to integrate static security scans such as SonarQube into developer workflows, the role of security skills in hiring testers, and how to enhance API security.

Boris shares his insights on the evolving significance of security fundamentals, the impact of AI on our industry, and practical, actionable strategies for conducting comprehensive security testing.

We'll also discuss empowering testers through exploratory testing, penetration testing for critical releases, and the creative use of hacker personas. Boris underscores the necessity of a holistic team approach to cybersecurity and the importance of continuous learning with must know resources.

Listen up!

You limit your career potential if you only know how to write end-to-end tests via the UI. Automating API Testing backend services allows you to ship changes confidently. Several popular tools will enable you to do this, but which one should you use, and what are their pros and cons?

Also, check out Browserstack Automate TurboScale, now: https://testguild.me/turboscale

In this episode, I want to share a private monthly guild session we had for automation guild 2024 members. If you don't know, when you buy a ticket to our online automation guild (the next one is Feb 10-14), you also get nine monthly sessions after the event is over each month to keep the learning and community going after the official event is over.

In this session, Stephen Kilbourn, a longtime guild member and speaker who brings a wealth of experience in automation testing, will share his top three API testing tools: Postman, Playwright, and Jest, and dive into the pros and cons of each one.

In this episode, Ashish Ghosh, a test automation architect at ING Bank, shares a new open source Playwright automation framework called INGenious Playwright Studio.

Ingenious is a low-code test automation framework designed to empower business users in the automation process.

Ashish shares insights on overcoming the challenges of traditional coded solutions, emphasizing the importance of business user involvement and the cost-effective advantages of open-source tools over commercial alternatives. He explains how Ingenious seamlessly transitioned from Selenium to Playwright, enhancing reliability and eliminating the need for glue code in BDD approaches.

Join us to discover how the INGenious framework supports comprehensive enterprise-grade testing, from web applications to APIs, databases, and mobile testing, while fostering a collaborative culture through community feedback and contributions.

In this session, Rudolf Groetz shares how Raiffeisen Bank International adapted its test automation strategy to incorporate a low-code approach. Discover how to transform from a traditional model to a more inclusive, agile approach.

Try Low-code yourself now w/BrowserStack: https://testguild.me/lowcode

Listen in to discover:

The Challenges and motivations behind transitioning to a low-code strategy. Understand the steps to evaluate and select the appropriate low-code tools. See how non-technical users were empowered to participate in test automation. Observe the proof of concept results and how they impressed stakeholders. Hear the inspiring story of a biomedical intern discovering a passion for software development through this process.

Today, we have a phenomenal session with our special guest, Christian Bromann, the visionary full-stack engineer behind the open-source WebDriverIO automation framework.

Join us as we explore the practical benefits of WebDriverIO version 9's new features. These include WebDriver Bidi Enhancements, New URL Command Parameters, Automatic Piercing of Web Components, iFrames, Shadow DOMs, and more.

Christian will share invaluable insights on the importance of responsible web API overrides, improvements in serialization, viewport management, and the exciting new OCR testing feature. We'll also touch on WebDriverIO's future directions, including UI enhancements and a new application to aid developers during testing.

Whether you're a seasoned automation expert or just starting out, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge and opportunities to contribute to the world of WebDriverIO. Listen in, and get ready to elevate your automation game!

Today, we have a special guest, Gojko Adzic, who introduces his new book "Lizard Optimization."

Check out BrowserStack Test Management testguild.me/browserstack

Join us as Gojko walks us through the significant value testers can bring to organizations beyond merely reporting bugs and evaluating product readiness. We'll delve into his rich experiences with user behavior at scale and the formidable challenges he's faced while offering practical strategies to unlock remarkable product growth.

In this episode, we discuss Gojko's innovative four-step lizard optimization method and the hidden power of edge cases. Gojko emphasizes testers' fundamental role in product innovation, mainly through experimentation and user behavior analysis.

We'll also touch on the balance between addressing accessibility needs and identifying obstacles in user workflows to enhance usability for everyone.

Listen in as Joe and Gojko explore the insightful intersection of user expectations and software design, leveraging customer support data for product improvements and the transformative potential of monitoring production environments. Whether you're a software tester, developer, or product manager, this episode is packed with actionable insights and thought-provoking perspectives that promise to elevate your approach to software development and user engagement. Don't miss out!

Today, our host, Joe Colantonio, is joined by an extraordinary guest: Greg Paskal. A veteran with over 40 years of experience at the cutting edge of software testing and automation, Greg has dedicated a significant part of his career to pioneering innovative approaches in the field, but what sets him apart is his inspiring initiative in Rwanda. Through METS (Minimal Essential Test Strategy), Greg empowers women with limited technology experience by teaching them the essentials of test engineering and automation. This episode delves into Greg's mission to combat poverty and make a generational difference, emphasizing the transformative power of education. We also explore his strategies for building effective testing teams, the importance of communication skills, and the exciting plans for a new open-source automation framework. Don't miss this episode if you're passionate about technology, education, and making a positive impact. Join us as we explore Greg Paskal's remarkable journey and achievements.

In today's episode, we explore OpenTelemetry, a powerful tool that is transforming how you observe and diagnose your systems in production.

Checkout Test Observability yourself now: https://testguild.me/browserstack

Have you ever faced unexplained system failures or performance issues and wondered how to identify and resolve them quickly?

Our guest, Swapnil Kotwal, Test Lead Engineer at SailPoint Technologies, brings his 12 years of expertise to shed light on how OpenTelemetry unifies fragmented data silos into a seamless observability stack. Swapnil guides us through ensuring unparalleled clarity and flexibility in our infrastructure, from the foundations of observability to practical implementations in distributed systems.

This episode is valuable, especially for test automation teams dealing with flaky tests and fragmented tools. So, let's embrace the observability revolution and future-proof our strategies together. Stay tuned!