Sponsored by AgilePDX, Agile Open Northwest, TAO QA & Dev Forums, PNSQC:

"Agile Testing: How do WE Make it Work?"

As our organizations move toward "Agile” for developing software, we all face the challenge of understanding how to adapt our former roles and ways of working to new work roles and processes. How do we ensure the continued value of testing?

Join us in Open Space to share your questions, challenges, strategies, success stories, and how you've overcome stumbling blocks.

In small groups, we’ll discuss topics such as:

· How is Agile testing different from how we’ve always done it? · How do we know what to test? · How do we know what not to test? · On Agile teams, when does testing happen and whose job is it? · What is Exploratory Testing and why should we care? · How do regression tests work? · How does testing improve my design? Should it? · How do we ensure it is cost effective? · What do people mean when they say, "no defects”? · Does Agile change how we test or does it just raise the existing issues?

Bring the topics you feel passion for and add them to the list!

Each self-organizing discussion group will create a document or other record of their discussion, ideas, questions, and insights. We’ll share everyone’s experiences at the end of the day.

Who should attend?

· Testers facing an Agile adoption/People new to the testing role/Testers eager to jump in · Devs who want to get serious about defect-free code · CTOs and Managers of Test/Validation, Dev, Application Delivery · Academics preparing new software/IT professionals for the real world

Cost to attend: $75 per person (Register early. We expect to sell out.)

Rose City SPIN Presentation in partnership with PNSQC

Agile Metrics – Velocity is Not the Goal

Michael “Doc” Norton, LeanDog

Velocity is one of the most common metrics used—and one of the most commonly misused—on agile projects. Velocity is simply a measurement of speed in a given direction—the rate at which a team is delivering toward a product release. As with a vehicle en route to a particular destination, increasing the speed may appear to ensure a timely arrival. However, that assumption is dangerous because it ignores the risks with higher speeds. And while it’s easy to increase a vehicle’s speed, where exactly is the accelerator on a software team? Michael “Doc” Norton walks us through the Hawthorne Effect and Goodhart’s Law to explain why setting goals for velocity can actually hurt a project’s chances of success. Take a look at what can negatively impact velocity, ways to stabilize fluctuating velocity, and methods to improve velocity without the risks. Leave with a toolkit of additional metrics that, coupled with velocity, give a better view of the project’s overall health.

A promoter and practitioner of agile since 1999, Michael “Doc” Norton (@DocOnDev) is an agile coach and a partner with LeanDog. Doc’s twenty-plus years of software development have provided him with experience on a wide range of topics. As a member of LeanDog, living in Wadsworth, OH, Doc provides coaching, mentoring, training, and delivery in agile/XP/lean software development techniques. Doc is immediately suspicious of anyone who declares expertise in a single programming language or methodology. He is passionate about helping others become better developers, working with teams to improve delivery, and emphasizing software craftsmanship.

About Rose City SPIN

The Rose City Software Process Improvement Network (SPIN) is a monthly forum for networking, mutual support, and promotion of effective software practices. We exchange practical experiences, ideas, knowledge, wisdom, and war stories about the technical, business, and human facets of software process improvement. The Rose City SPIN serves the software development community of the Portland/Vancouver metro area. Whether you work for a large company or a small one, corporate or self-employed, industrial or academic setting, you are welcome at the Rose City SPIN. Monthly seminars are sponsored by the Rose City SPIN and the Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference.

About PNSQC

PNSQC is the Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference, a group of volunteers interested in Software Quality. The Mission of the PNSQC is to enable knowledge exchange to produce higher quality software. As a non-profit, it seeks to promote software quality by providing education and opportunities for information exchange within the software community.

PNSQC 2012 – Engineering Quality

PNSQC is the best software quality conference in the west from the standpoint of take-home, usable learning, state-of-the-art and practice discussions, and high quality interactions and networking in the broad field of software quality.

Registration is now open.

If your company needs a real shot in the arm – ideas that work in today’s complex computing environment – then you’ll want to attend PNSQC.

Joining us will be the following Keynote Speakers:

• Matt Heusser (Excelon) will explore A Brief History of the Quality Movement and what Software Should Do About It.
• Dale Emery will discuss Testing Quality In.

The invited speakers will be Suzanne Miller (SEI), Ben Simo (Quality Frog), Linda Rising, and Peter Walen. There will also be 8 in-depth workshops, including a two-day Certified ScrumMaster Training with Solutions IQ.

The complete two-day technical program is now available with talks across the software industry – from Mobile and Cloud to UX and Design, with Testing, Automation, Process Improvement and more.

THANK YOU to our sponsors: ProKarma and Agile Open Northwest!!

For any code base there comes a time when you want (or need) to change it. If your changes are extensive, it’s easy to get lost in a jungle of dependencies or on a sea of broken code. Ultimately, you might just give up and shove it away under the legacy label. Instead of doing that, use "The Mikado Method," a systematic approach to reclaim your code. The method helps you visualize, prepare, and perform business-value focused changes, while delivering, and without having a broken code-base in the process. It enhances team communication, collaboration and learning, and helps individuals stay on track.

http://mikadomethod.wordpress.com/book/

For: Lead developers, architects, programming coaches, or anyone who wants to get some serious hands-on practice on how to work their way out of messy code while keeping the delivery frequency and business value focus.

Join Ola Ellnestam, founder of Agical.se and author of The Mikado Method, as he leads the group through exploring techniques for restructuring difficult-t0-work-with code. Ola likes to combine people, technology and business which is best done with simple means and flexible processes. More than that he likes to share his knowledge and experiences because that’s how new insights are created according to him. http://ellnestam.wordpress.com/

http://www.hanoulle.be/2012/02/who-is-ola-ellnestam/

http://www.agical.com/

Registration fee: $85 - The participation of our sponsors, (including Agile Open Northwest, ProKarma, and...you?) helps us to keep the fee as low as possible.

For more information, or if you'd like to sponsor this event, contact dlarsen [at] futureworksconsulting [dot] com

ACHIEVING IT SERVICE EXCELLENCE is not just a desire but a necessity to position your IT organization as the competitive “provider of first choice.” Technology for most organizations is a commodity; having a service oriented team is where you will truly begin to gain competitive advantage. Successful IT organizations have an IT Service Strategy that is based on a common definition of service and an understanding of what is important from your clients’ perspective. “Achieving IT Service Excellence” means that everyone from the CIO to the individual contributor delivers consistent service and manages the client’s expectations on an ongoing basis.

More info: http://learningforleverage.com/events/achieving-it-service-excellence/

The Science of Being Happy and Productive at Work Presented by Scott Crabtree, Happy Brain

Dates/Times: Tuesday, October 11th, 2011: Networking @ 5:30 PM; Seminar 6:00-7:30 PM

Location: World Trade Center Portland, Mezzanine Level 2 (121 SW Salmon, 2WTC, Portland, OR 97204)

Abstract

Grounded in solid scientific data, this award winning presentation provides actionable steps to help you become happier and more productive at work. Various studies show that happier people are more productive, more creative, more insightful, more engaged, more resilient and healthier. This presentation covers dozens of techniques to increase job happiness, organized around themes of goals, relationships and attitude.

Presenter Bio

Scott Crabtree earned a B.A. in Cognitive Science from Vassar College in 1988. Immediately after, he worked on artificial intelligence, including expert systems software. Seeking more fun in his life, he started working at the first of several game development companies in 1996. Serving as a Software Engineer, Game Designer, Producer and Entrepreneur, Scott is proud to have worked on game development with companies including Microsoft, Mattel, Disney, LEGO and Nike. He’s published games for PS2, Xbox, PC and mobile phones, including the iPhone. He joined Intel in 2005 as an Engineering Manager focused on video game developers. He is currently Tech Strategist for Intel Atom Developer Program. He is fascinated by and passionately studies organizational development, human psychology and the science of happiness and well-being.

Scott lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and 2 year old daughter. He loves spending time with them, especially in nature, and also enjoys playing with his band Mister Fisk.

How to Register

No need to register! This is a FREE lecture sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference and Rose City SPIN.

About PNSQC

PNSQC is the Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference, a group of volunteers interested in Software Quality. The Mission of the PNSQC is to enable knowledge exchange to produce higher quality software. As a non-profit, it seeks to promote software quality by providing education and opportunities for information exchange within the software community.

About the Rose City SPIN

The Rose City Software Process Improvement Network (SPIN) is a monthly forum for networking, mutual support, and promotion of effective software practices. We exchange practical experiences, ideas, knowledge, wisdom, and war stories about the technical, business, and human facets of software process improvement. The Rose City SPIN serves the software development community of the Portland/Vancouver metro area. Whether you work for a large company or a small one, corporate or self-employed, industrial or academic setting, you are welcome at the Rose City SPIN.

What can the software quality industry learn from quality in other industries like education, health care, manufacturing, government? What can other industries learn from us? Tell us.

The PNSQC seeks broad interaction and exchange of ideas from different sources. Whether you are a software quality engineer, tester, manager, consultant, Agilist, non-Agilist, software developer, maintenance engineer, or whether you are directly in the field of software quality or simply related to it or concerned about it, we invite you to interact.

The Pioneer Lecture Series: Network Performance Management is coming to Portland on Wednesday, March 9th. Gain insight from the creators of TCPDUMP, WinPCap and Wireshark. You'll find out how Dr. Steve McCanne, Loris Degioanni and Gerald Combs came together as the pioneers of packet capture and analysis. You'll also find out what they see as the next generation of application aware network performance management and what it means for you.

Sponsored by Riverbed Technology

Talk will be held at the World Trade Center, Portland, Mezzanine Level 2 in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference (PNSQC).

This is a free talk and open to the public.

Abstract

During a given workday, we either focus on testing activities or we have to focus on the things that interrupt testing activities. Some of us lament the interruptions, others find it energizing because it’s consistent with notions of Agile — like responding to change over following a plan. I’ve got an idea on how to use interruptions to focus on testing activities. Multi-tasking is not evil, nor does it have to torpedo your project, but it may require a management technique to help you stay sane. Enter Thread-Based Test Management — a way to let interruptions guide you to where you’re needed most. Using a kanban-style dashboard is one way to go with the flow without losing your way. Using a spreadsheet with rows to track topics you followed in a day is another. In this talk, Jon Bach describes his experiences with a new technique he and his brother James invented that might help you get rid of the shame of feeling undisciplined for letting yourself be interrupted while being more response-able to the important things that need your time and attention.

Speaker Bio

Jon has over 15 years of experience, including Fortune 500 and start-up companies, serving in the Quality Assistance and Software Testing domain. He is a co-author of a Microsoft Patterns and Practices book on Acceptance Testing (2010) and is an award-winning keynote speaker for major testing conferences (STAR, QAI, BCS SIGIST). He has served as the vice president of conferences for the Association for Software Testing; invented a method for managing and measuring exploratory testing; a method for coaching testers (Open-Book Testing) and categorizing risk (Color-Aided Test Design) and has published over 50 articles, whitepapers, and presentations about the notions of value of exploration and rapid, risk-based testing. He has been with Quardev for the past 6 years and serves as the speaker chairman for the acclaimed Seattle non-profit QASIG testing forum (www.qasig.org).

About Rose City SPIN

The Rose City Software Process Improvement Network (SPIN) is a monthly forum for networking, mutual support, and promotion of effective software practices. We exchange practical experiences, ideas, knowledge, wisdom, and war stories about the technical, business, and human facets of software process improvement. The Rose City SPIN serves the software development community of the Portland/Vancouver metro area. Whether you work for a large company or a small one, corporate or self-employed, industrial or academic setting, you are welcome at the Rose City SPIN.

Monthly seminars are sponsored by the Rose City SPIN and the Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference.

This month IxDA Portland is pleased to present a lecture from Jared Spool!

Wednesday May 19, 2010

Cost: Free! You need to register and bring your ticket for admission. There are only 220 seats available! RSVP: http://spool-amazon.eventbrite.com/

Where: World Trade Center Portland 121 SW Salmon St, 2WTC, Portland OR 97204 Bridge Level Auditorium Directions [http://www.wtcpd.com/mapsanddirections.php] Parking is available below the building for $3.

What Time: 6pm-8pm

Topic: Revealing Design Treasures from The Amazon

On its surface, Amazon.com just seems like a large e-commerce site, albeit a successful one. Its design isn't flashy, nor is it much to write home about. But deep within its pages are hidden secrets -- secrets that every designer should know about.

If one looks closely at what the team at Amazon has built, it's filled with innovative functionality and clever designs, all of which creates a delightful experience for its users and directly produces regular profits for its shareholders. But not all is perfect. Some design changes in the last few years have not been the success that the team had hoped for. Amazon's exceptional qualities and imperfections are critical knowledge for any designer that wants to dig deep into what makes the site tick.

In this entertaining presentation, Jared will share some of UIE's latest research into the hidden treasures of (the) Amazon. You'll learn:

• The simple Yes/No question that increased revenues by more than $1 billion
• The elegant subtlety of Amazon's security system
• Why Amazon's business model is more than meets the eye (and why designers need to care)
• The wins and losses that Amazon has had with social media functionality

About the speaker

Jared M. Spool, Founding Principal If you’ve ever seen Jared speak about usability, you know that he’s probably the most effective, knowledgeable communicator on the subject today. What you probably don’t know is that he has guided the research agenda and built User Interface Engineering into the largest research organization of its kind in the world. He’s been working in the field of usability and design since 1978, before the term "usability" was ever associated with computers.

Jared spends his time working with the research teams at the company, helps clients understand how to solve their design problems, explains to reporters and industry analysts what the current state of design is all about, and is a top-rated speaker at more than 20 conferences every year. He is also the conference chair and keynote speaker at the annual User Interface Conference, is on the faculty of the Tufts University Gordon Institute, and manages to squeeze in a fair amount of writing time.

Sponsored by: IxDA Portland, CHIFOO, PGE, ISITE Design, Aquent

The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN), Software Association of Oregon (SAO) , Oregon Business Association (OBA) and the Portland Business Alliance are presenting the 2010 Gubernatorial Candidate Forums. Tech America will be a supporting organization for the forums

Oregon’s economy is facing great challenges. The state is struggling with serious budgetary shortfalls and that is exacerbated by an unemployment rate that is hovering above 10 percent. With the recent passage of measures 66 & 67 many Oregonians question what the impact will be for Oregon businesses. Policies that support and encourage business growth and economic development are a top-of-mind priority for many Oregonians. These candidate forums are intended to provide an opportunity for members of the business community to ask the candidates from each party what they would do to help support business and economic growth in Oregon.

The Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate forum will take place on Wednesday, April 7 at Portland General Electric’s auditorium located at 121 SW Salmon St, 2WTC in Portland. It will feature Democratic candidates Bill Bradbury (www.bradburyfororegon.com) and John Kitzhaber, (www.johnkitzhaber.com).

The Republican Gubernatorial Candidate forum will take place on Tuesday, April 27 at the Multnomah Athletic Club 1849 SW Salmon St. in Portland. It will feature Republican candidates Allen Alley (www.allenalley.com) and Chris Dudley (www.chrisdudley.com).

Tickets are required for onsite attendees and individual live stream access. Registration is recommended for satellite venues.

The gubernatorial candidate forum will be held prior to the primaries and will be moderated by Laural Porter of KGW News (twitter.com/lauralkgw). Check-in begins at 4:00PM. The program will begin at 4:30 PM and will run to 6:00 PM. Tickets are $20 for members of presenting or supporting organizations and $40 for non-members. We encourage attendees to pre-register online using the link below.

The forums will be streamed live over the web. Individual web stream tickets can be purchased for $10 in advance, but business community members outside of the Portland area may attend a satellite event in their local area at no charge.

For more information about the forums, or to register for either of these events, please go to:

Democratic Candidates Forum: www.sao.org/event/dgp

Republican Candidates Forum: www.sao.org/event/rgp

Follow the discussions on twitter: #pdxGDP & #pdxRGP.

Oregon’s four premier research universities, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University, Portland State University, and the University of Oregon, have launched a new website, to promote interaction between industry and Oregon research universities. Innovate Collaborate Oregon incorporates a searchable technology portal allowing visitors to identify and learn more about promising discoveries and collaboration opportunities at Oregon’s universities.

Oregon universities collaborate with entrepreneurs, companies and the business community to ensure that ideas generated by faculty, students and staff reach the private sector to create products and services which benefit the public. Innovate Collaborate Oregon will allow greater industry access to the latest advances in university research and enable the universities to generate resources to continue academic research. It also provides the public with an opportunity to learn more about world-class research in the State of Oregon.

Oregon’s public research universities collaborate on initiatives in addition to Innovate Collaborate Oregon. These include the University Venture Development Fund, The Oregon Innovation Showcase and participation in Oregon’s Signature Research Centers (ONAMI, BEST, and OTRADI).

Rose City Software Process Improvement Network seminar in partnership with the Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference (www.pnsqc.org):

  Effective Job Seeking — How To Cope, Prepare, and Move Forward If You Find Yourself Unemployed
  Presented by Michael Hoffman

  Networking @ 6:00 PM; Seminar 6:30-7:30 PM; This event is free and open to the public.

  Abstract:
  The unexpected happened to me on November 17, 2008… I was laid off. I was 20 years out of college, a seasoned software industry engineer, and leader, and was suddenly thrown into the pool of “Unemployed Hi-Tech Professionals” that numbered in the tens of thousands in the Portland area. A few months later, I was employed again, the results of a job search that involved techniques and technologies relevant to seeking employment given today’s hiring practices.

  This presentation/discussion will focus on:
  •Company hiring attitudes/practices
  •Key technologies and techniques for job searching
  •Considerations when working through recruiting companies
  •Right and wrong ways to apply
  •Effective approaches to getting that first interview
  •Making yourself stand out
  •Preparing ahead of time for when it happens to you

  Speaker Bio:
  Michael Hoffman is a 20-year veteran of the software industry. He has filled a variety of development and quality engineering, strategist, and leadership roles at companies such as Jeppesen Sanderson, Hewlett-Packard Company, Insight Distribution Software, Sharp, and GTE Government Systems. Mr. Hoffman’s experience spans the realms of communications systems, factory control/integration, embedded systems, PC applications, and web-base solutions. Additionally, he teaches various software engineering courses for Oregon Institute of Technology.

  Mr. Hoffman recently found himself involuntarily seeking employment at a time when many companies were downsizing and few were hiring. As a result, he developed strategies and techniques that proved effective in today’s job market for identifying opportunities, applying voluntarily for positions, interviewing, and following-up. Mr. Hoffman continues to mentor unemployed colleagues, sharing advice and best practices based on his experiences.

  Rose City SPIN:
  The Rose City Software Process Improvement Network (SPIN) is a monthly forum for networking, mutual support, and promotion of effective software practices. We exchange practical experiences, ideas, knowledge, wisdom, and war stories about the technical, business, and human facets of software process improvement.  The Rose City SPIN serves the software development community of the Portland/Vancouver metro area.  Whether you work for a large company or a small one, corporate or self-employed, industrial or academic setting, you are welcome at the Rose City SPIN

The stimulus is coming!

  What does it mean for you, your business 
  and the Portland metro area? 
  + + + 
  Come hear 

  U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer 
  talk about the $800 billion federal stimulus package 
  and the implications for our region's economy at a 

  Greenlight Ambassadors Breakfast 
  Friday, March 27, 2009 
  7:30-9:00 a.m. 

  Two World Trade Center, Mezzanine 2, 3 & 4 
  25 SW Salmon Street 
  (A parking garage is located on Taylor Street between Naito and First.) 

  Continental breakfast will be served. 

  $10 admission 
  Funds will be donated to Oregon Heat, which provides 
  utility payment assistance to low-income households. 

  REGISTER NOW: www.greenlightgreaterportland.com » 

  Or... http://tinyurl.com/Greenlightgreaterportland

  This Greenlight Ambassadors event is 
  generously hosted by Portland General Electric. 

  Open to all, though space is limited to 150 people. 


  metrofactual@greenlightgreaterportland.com • Greenlight Greater Portland

OEVA meetings are held on the second Thursday of every month (except Dec.) in downtown Portland at Two World Trade Center, on the corner of SW Salmon and 1st Street.

* 7pm - 7:30, Socializing, Car show and tell<br />
* 7:30 - 9pm, Meeting<br /><br />

PGE provides outlets for recharging your vehicle, so bring your EV if you have one.

Co-founder of Mentor Graphics

Managing Director of OVP Venture Partners

Interview followed by Q&A.

The Venture Resources Conference is a one-stop-shop for resources your startup needs to succeed. Five service providers required by anyone starting a business will offer you an opportunity at no charge to sit down in a 1:1 setting, discuss your ideas and get specific answers to your specific business needs. For more detailed information and to register, please visit http://www.vrconf.com

http://www.dwt.com