meg 🌸

Since I am “The Dev Who Was A Tester”, I’ve been pulled into the AI & Testing working group along with the QA folks. There’s a list of tools to review provided from up high, and a lot of them market themselves on how effectively they replace testers. This is going to be fun to navigate 😩

Yes! It’s why traditional degree courses don’t suit me so much, there are many things you have to learn for the sake of it which you don’t actually use for anything. I just end up forgetting it all because it’s not useful or interesting.

Going on tangents like that is one of my favourite parts of the job. You can end up being a temporary expert on things you never dreamed of.

M&S have changed their “combo mix” crisps… I saw the packaging had changed and my heart sank. The tube shaped ones now have a stale texture and are just not as crunchy and satisfying. Curse my senses for noticing things like this. Why must the relentless push for “line go up” ruin my fave snacks?

My creaky, tired bones 😂

There’s a massive difference between learning something because I want to, and learning something because I have to. The last while, it’s mostly been because I have to. I miss having the space to fall into a wiki hole for an evening!

Gala Lush · Album · 1990 · 15 songs

Today’s vibes:

open.spotify.com/album/1UBjGs...

Board game groups seem like such a good shout, I’m just so frazzled when work finishes that I can only manage one of meeting new people or playing a board game. Definitely an idea for when I’m less burnt out. I’m happy you managed to meet new folks 🩵

That sounds really healthy, I love it when folks can decide to be friends like that. I know a lot of people where that wouldn’t be allowed 😅

Ahh I wish I had any musical talent to capitalise upon! A wrist injury stopped me playing guitar/bass a long time ago as my wrist just doesn’t twist enough any more and I never had the grit to learn left-handed!

Has anyone actually managed to make a new friend in real life recently? I’m having trouble finding anyone receptive to new people nearby & I’m wondering what I could be doing wrong. Tried interest groups, classes, pubs etc but the only people who wanna be mates live in the city I moved away from 😭

An Aldi advert which reads “Join us for our grand opening of Aldi Penis...see more”

So this was definitely on purpose, right? 😂

Honestly, I thought had a vaguely unique thought, that’s not fair 😂 I’ll have to give that a watch, thanks for linking that.

I never thought I’d see the day where developers voluntarily turn themselves into testers, but that’s exactly what they’re doing by inviting LLMs to create outputs from requirements they helped refine which they have to check for errors afterward. Obviously the tester skillset is valuable then.

Wow, I have a pretty severe case of Fuck Mondays.

Agreed - there’s some tasks it’s fantastic for, and I celebrate those uses quite vocally. If we don’t critically evaluate our use of tools, how can we ever expect to become more proficient in them and get the most out of them? In this context I end up feeling like the “miserable tester” again.

You’re right there. I just wish there was more curiosity toward differing views. It’s not inherently bad having a different opinion, and being met with a curious “why” would feel a lot better than folks just assuming you’re somehow less capable or not trying hard enough.

For once in my life I’d love to not have the “wrong” opinion and not feel like the world is going mad 😂

Yesterday I had someone on my team say “Oh Meg is really against AI” & then I was told I have to use it or I’ll get left behind. They just assumed I wasn’t using it or I was using it wrong. I have been using it for years now & I dislike that folks assume I’m ignorant because I criticise it.

Oh no, grumpy Meg is back. Must find something else to refactor before feelings escape outward.

Haha some idiot was mixing fixture types and then wondering why stuff was fucky.
Oh wait.
That’s my name on it.
Whoopsie doodle 🙈

The usual pushback I see is that you’re not using the tools correctly if you think they’re crap. I can honestly say I am using them “correctly” and I can see that they’re not a thinking feeling human and therefore have the shortcomings associated with that. I don’t get why that’s so incorrect.

We’re definitely feeling similar then. I’m already getting the impression at my place that AI’s opinion is worth more than the devs to some folks. It’s a bit weird.

Hmm, vibes at work are ungood. Time to disappear down a refactoring rabbit hole for the rest of the week to escape from it. There’s an integration test project which needs some love, it’s ended up like a Frankenstein’s monster due to lack of oversight. Off I go 🫠🫠🫠

Sucks that you’re also in this space. Maybe it’ll all turn out ok? Just gotta hang on for dear life so those bills get paid 😫

So our team now has a new manager. Things have been chaos for a while. Let’s see what changes they try to make to get things under control. Meanwhile, I’m using my learning time to integrate these “AI” tools into my workflow enough that I can say that I have… I feel dumber each time I use them.

Why is proper food so unappetising when it’s hot? All I managed for lunch was a yoghurt, a bit of granola and an ice lolly.

Too hot. Gonna watch the wiggly lycra men haul their bicycles around France for a while.

Surprisingly well, I think we’re in a better place. I guess we’ll see over the next while if things are different.