Dev-aimed (but still about testing) talks okay at TestBash?

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Background: I’m a developer, and considering submitting some talks for TestBash, but they’re more of interest to devs rather than testers. They’re about testing, but of the kind devs do (or should) to their own code, not what I (as a dev) usually think of as “something a tester does” (though I could certainly be wrong about that). Mainly I mean things like mutation testing (either the whole concept, or a followup focusing on using it to build a test suite), property-based testing, doctests, or a demo specifically of ping-pong pairing with TDD. I also have one on my definition of software quality, and tips to achieve it, which often relies on assorted kinds of testing.

Questions: Do enough devs (vs. testers) usually attend TestBash that things like those would be appropriate? Or would testers maybe be more interested in such things than I think? Or should I just go ahead, submit, and see what the program committee thinks? (I’m trying to be considerate and not waste their time; if the process is anything like dev conferences, they get an overwhelming number of submissions already.)

I tried looking at the lists of talks from prior TestBashes but the “playlist” format doesn’t much make it easy to see what each talk’s subject really is, if you’re not already familiar with tools and techniques named in the title.

Thanks!

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I am not keen on different silos only doing certain tests. Developers should be able to prove their code works in ALL ways (supported and coached by test experts), because they should be taking responsibility for that code working.

There should be no silos at all. Testing is development.

I think the real issue is that there is doubt about whether developers would even be at TestBash. Why do we still have silos at all?

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Great question. A few things, from my personal point of view having attended two TestBash’s, and many more MoT events of other names.

  1. There have been many great talks over the years from Devs, about code level concepts, including mutation testing, that have been well received.
  2. Sometimes if I can’t use a topic directly myself, I might still bring learnings back to my team of Devs. Or watch a talk with them and then discuss it.
  3. I’m a tester (OK Quality Engineer) who writes code. So feel free to chuck me in with Devs. I know plenty of others who some hybrid of both roles.
  4. Submit, anyway. Because even if it isn’t right for TestBash, MoT may approach you to bring the talk in another format or for another event. Maybe it fits in a Testing Planet, or a Masterclass. For example.

I hope this helps!

P.s. thank you for bringing Dev perspectives to the testing community, I’m all here for it.

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Point 1 was a good summary of what I was looking for. Point 2 I was hoping might also be in play. Points 3 and 4 are good to know. I’m mainly hoping to go speak at a TestBash, or other in-person thing, somewhere I’d like to see, but some other format may be okay. Thanks!

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