[maemo-developers] Extras-testing improvements

[From: Graham Cobb]

On Monday 08 March 2010 23:04:36 Attila Csipa wrote:
> I invite everyone who has not alredy done so
> to take a good look at
>
> http://wiki.maemo.org/Extras-testing/QA_Checklist/QA_Improvements

Scary.

> I
> believe we ALL want better quality software, developers, testers, users,
> everybody. 

Everybody wants it, just like they want world peace.  The question is what are 
they willing to sacrifice to get it.  

That is a serious question.  And I think if you polled most people in the 
community (particularly the hoards of users on Talk) they would say, of 
course they want better quality software but they are happy to have it 
tomorrow: they don't want to delay the interesting apps.  If this discussion 
ends up going to a community referendum, that is what will happen.  Which 
none of us wants (I do want to improve quality so I don't want to lose the 
testers).

Personally I am willing to delay my own apps to improve the quality.  But I 
see no reason to impose that view on other developers, nor on users.

The key thing is to not treat QA as a gatekeeper on Extras.  See it as 
value-add for those who want it.  For developers who do not want it, don't 
stand in their way (except for the very limited set of safety-related things 
we agree are blockers).  But for developers who do want it, give them help, 
advice, encouragement.  

Above all, give them incentives!  Instead of thinking up a list of "QA 
Improvements" think up a list of "Quality Incentives".  Ways in which high 
quality apps, which get high marks in the QA process, can be rewarded.  The 
most obvious is better promotion on the web pages (even better, get HAM to 
order apps by QA testing score).  If Nokia want high quality apps in Extras 
then get Nokia to award a free N900 each month to the app which comes top of 
your testing (or is most improved, or something).

> Let's make Extras-testing a place where we help applications get 
> to Extras by improving them, not just kick them back to extras-devel,
> screaming. Thank you.

I agree if it is voluntary.  Developers who want to ignore the advice (or 
defer it to the next release) can, as long as their app won't break the 
tablet.

Graham