Summary
I need your help in publishing an excellent software testing book in English AND in Finnish for kids and adults. It will be both a fantasy book with dragons and knights AND an introductory book about software testing. The main target group is kids of 10-15 years old, but the book is suitable for ages of 10-99, so adults, too! Age of ten is the traditional age to start reading fantasy books, Also at that age, technology becomes interesting. This book will extend that interest to software testing. I believe the best way to do it is to tell stories that are interesting on their own – the book “Dragons Out!”.
The book is almost ready in Finnish and just needs illustration and translation to English.
My name is Mr. Kari Kakkonen and I’ve been working in the software testing industry for over twenty years. All that time I’ve also spent a considerable part of my free time to voluntary, non-profit activities around software testing, currently elected as the Secretary of ISTQB, globally. I’ve written numerous blogs and co-authored Agile Testing Foundations book. This new book is my effort to reach towards children with the software testing topic.
Let’s teach software testing to the new generations, to contribute to better software and better quality of life in our world. So buy the book and share this campaign to everyone!
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The book
At the time of the writing of this, I have finished the first draft of the book in Finnish. I will write an English version immediately after. I have found an amazing illustrator, Adrienn Széll, to draw fantastic pictures to bring the book alive. Next tasks include finding a designer, editor, and publisher.
The book tells a growth story of two 10-year old children, Laura and Tom, from kids into knight apprentices. They learn about dragons and knights fighting those dragons, and get into real action themselves, too. They get help from male and female knights and a wise old sage. The stories take place in a setting resembling medieval Europe. As these fantasy stories unfold, I explain to the readers the software development and testing world in analogies or parallels.
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Each chapter introduces another type of dragon, which represents a software defect/bug in the real world. Knights represent software testers and developers. Villagers and the two children represent software users. And so on. Everything is an analogy. Obviously, the knights and villagers want the dragons out of their towns and villages, hence also the name of the book “Dragons Out!”.
Here is a sample of dragon story in the book draft translated into English:
At night, Sebastian woke the children and they walked to the guard post. Sky was full of bright stars, but otherwise the only light came from Sebastian’s torch. Cypress scent was in the air. For a long time you couldn’t hear anything but rustle of the wind in the trees and crickets chirping. Suddenly Laura startled, when Sebastian shook her shoulder. There were flames a few houses away. They walked carefully closer. One wall of the house was about to collapse. Flames were getting stronger. They saw a dark shape hovering in front of the fire. It had black wings and tall winding tail. Now it breathed fire towards another part of the wall, which burst into flames. It was a dragon!
And here's a sample of testing explanation in the book draft translated into English:
In the story, the team of knights found and killed the dragon. In real life, the software development team together (developers and testers) was able to find, locate and fix the defect. They shared tasks in a way that everyone helped each other using their special skills. In the story, Knight Swanlake was talented in finding dragons. In real world, she was better in testing than the rest of her team members, which was why at this time she found the defect. In the story, Knight Yellowbeard was good at building the palisade, and figuring out ways to kill dragons. In real life, his coding skills were excellent, so he thought of the way to remove the defect.
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The structure of the book is straightforward. In each chapter, I first tell a fantasy story of a new dragon, and how it is banished from the village. My storytelling is complemented with the amazing illustration from Adri. I explain the analogy of the story into software testing and development in side-boxes that are available for reading as one reads the story, or afterwards. How is this kind of software defect found through testing? Why is it harmful to software? How can it be removed? As new computer, testing or development terms are mentioned, I explain them as simply as possible in a vocabulary. In the end of each chapter there are a few exercises for learning the software testing topics a bit better.
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The book is such an interesting piece of adventure fantasy that it is impossible to stop reading it. My 10-year-old beta readers of the various chapters of the book have encouraged me to publish the book. They say the story is catching and they would like to read more of the same. The understanding and interest of software testing come as a natural by-product. My adult beta readers from software testing, teaching and other backgrounds also praise this as unique and interesting approach that will be a success. They think the story is good and software testing is explained very clearly. They also tend to laugh at some of the analogies in the book. The more you know about software development, the more you can appreciate how information technology concepts turn into a fantasy. I have infused the stories with the analogies, something I have practiced in my blogs over the years. The readers can return to the book over and over again, to understand the software testing via the used analogies. Examples, in general, are usually one of the best ways to learn. The book is a storytelling way of learning about software testing for readers of any age.
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I have chosen the theme of dragons and knights for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, I’ve been a big fan of fantasy literature from a young age, starting from Tolkien. I have been involved in roleplaying for the past twenty years. My passion for fantasy extends to writing, too. Authoring fantasy is one of my dreams. Secondly, I do believe the fantasy theme appeals to youth today, probably even more than in years past. There has been an on-march of medieval fantasy, including dragons, in books, movies, toys and so on. This trend seems to be continuing. Thirdly, I have a wonderful son, who is a big fan of dragons. This is also for him!
I am planning for a book of 6,7 inches x 9,6 inches. This is subject to design matters of course. The book’s current draft comes up to 120-130 pages. If I get enough funding through here, the book will be published in hardcover.
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Why learn about software testing?
The world is full of software. It is hard to live a day without using software in some form or another. Some software works on its own (like games), some enable services (like online banks) and some are a crucial part of physical products (like cars or planes). The more critical or complex the software is the better quality it has to be. Companies need great software to differentiate from the competition. Software testing is the key approach to creating this great quality.
The lack of software developers, or coders, is in the news all the time. You have your coding schools, and other such initiatives to get children into coding at a young age. Which is very good, of course, also from the testing point of view. All coding includes some testing. What software testing professionals always notice, however, is that software testing is more than the testing done by the developer. Even a developer that knows her testing still makes mistakes, creating defects. And there are so many types of defects from performance problems to functionality failures. Usually, the developer doesn’t have time for enough testing to find these defects. This is human but underlines the need of larger focus on software testing skills. There is a lack of testers, too. Everyone should have testing skills at basic level. Some will specialize in software testing and become testing professionals, to become really skilled in finding defects. Software testing accounts to about one-third of all software development time and money, depending on what you include in that sum.
The world deserves better software and that requires a good understanding of software testing. In general, we need more software testing awareness and skills. We also do need to bring software testing into the attention of children, who are interested in code. If they get into coding, their better understanding of testing will help them to be better developers. They also might become software testers, adding into the honorable profession of software testers.
For some children, and adults, too, the software testing may be their best, most viable way into the fascinating world of information technology. Not all people have the talent or interest to be great developers, but they can still be very meaningful in the world of IT. Software testing offers also such possibilities. As the testing, agile and DevOps philosophies say, testing is everywhere and done by everybody. Thus customers, users, technical staff, developers, and yes, professional testers need to have solid software testing skills. It all starts with awareness and understanding of software testing.
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The budget
I have written the first draft of the book in Finnish during a sabbatical year from work, and I can take the time to translate it in English, too. But, I do need funds to get the book to be all I’ve imagined, especially concerning the illustration. I can afford the basic illustrations that bring the characters (dragons, people) alive, but I believe the book will be so much better with illustrations throughout the storyline. Obviously, also technical tasks like page design, editing, professional proofreading and printing the book cost money. So your money will be used:
Risk mitigation
If I don’t get enough funds through Indiegogo, I’ll publish the book with priority one illustrations only, which I’ll fund from my own pocket. For the printing and publishing part, I would need to rely more on a publisher, possibly settle with softcover book only. I have the contacts already, though, not to worry.
As I work for my employer Knowit most of the time, there is a risk of book project being delayed. I'm mitigating the risk by taking some time off from work. In worst case, the book will be published some months later than the estimated release time.
In any case, the book will be published with both English and Finnish. It will be a great book. But, with your help, it can be a fantastic book! I have a track record of finishing anything I decide to do. This book will happen, too.
How can I help?
Back my campaign, so buy my books! There are also additional, interesting stuff in the perks, including presentation sets for schools to learn about software testing, live webinars, personal chats over Skype, dragon posters.
Also, remember to tell everyone about this campaign. Use the Indiegogo sharing tools or your own social media and other channels. Tell your kids and their school teachers about this campaign and this book.
By backing and sharing this campaign you also contribute to the greater good. You’ll help educate the new generations in our world about software testing. This will result in better software, services of better quality, better functioning society. Better world. This is why I do this. You should, too!
About me
I am well versed in writing in both English and Finnish. I am a co-author of the Agile Testing Foundations book https://amazon.com/author/karikakkonen responsible for 1/7 of the book content. I am a fluent blog writer in Finnish and English, which you can see from the links at my home page https://www.iki.fi/kari2. Professionally, as a consultant, I also get to write very often some extremely comprehensive reports in Finnish and English.
I have dedicated my professional life to bringing better testing into the world. Most of all this is visible via my volunteer activity as the elected Secretary of ISTQB, the largest software testing association in the world, based in Brussels, Belgium. Previously I acted as the Treasurer of ISTQB. I am also a founding member of Finnish Software Testing Board (a member of ISTQB). I was the Chairman of FiSTB for eight years. Currently, I am the Treasurer of FiSTB.
My paid work for over twenty years has been about training and consultancy in the areas of software testing, agile, and DevOps. Currently, I work at Knowit in this capacity. I have delivered more than a thousand training days over the years. I have realized I have a knack at getting people to learn even with little IT background. I am also a well-known conference speaker.
I am the only person with software testing background to make it to the distinguished list of 100 most influential people in IT in Finland, published every year by Tivi. I have Master's degree in Industrial Management and IT from Aalto University.
A message from Illustrator Adrienn Széll
Hi! I am Adrienn Széll, a Hungarian "Visual Communicator" in Finland. I graduated as an animation filmmaker in 2003 at Hungarian University of Applied Arts (MOME). I worked as animator for years, after that I was an online graphic designer at Sanoma Publishing, Budapest. After my daughter was born, I started to make illustrations for magazines and books and draw my own ideas, too.
The fantasy of children (well, and some adults, too) is limitless. This is why it is so exciting to educate them through their imagination. The Dragons Out! is definitely an entertaining book that also gives interesting and useful knowledge to the reader.
My portfolio can be found at https://szelladri.myportfolio.com/
Background stuff
You might want to see me delivering a presentation
on Exploratory Testing at TestCon Moscow 2018 in Moscow, Russia.
on DevOps maturity models at Knowit Developer Summit 2018 in Oslo, Norway.
on Effect of Software Testing to Company Profitability (in Finnish) in Helsinki, Finland
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