What is World Tester’s Day? (Explaining it to Kids!)

Hi there! Have you ever played your favourite game on a tablet, phone, or computer and thought, “Wow, this game works perfectly!”? Well, it’s not magic! Special people behind the scenes test these games and apps to ensure they work just how you expect them to. These people are called software testers, and today, we’re celebrating something super special—World Testers’ Day!

But what exactly do software testers do, and why do they have their special day? Let me explain it in a fun way so you can understand why software testing is so important.

What is Software Testing?

Imagine you built a cool robot toy. You want it to walk, talk, and maybe even do a little dance. But what if it falls over instead of dancing? Or what if it doesn’t even move when you press the button? To make sure it works right, you need to test it.

Testing means checking that everything works just the way it’s supposed to. Software testers do something very similar in the world of apps and games. They press all the buttons, try all the features, and see if everything works smoothly. If they find something that’s broken, that’s called a bug.

How Did World Testers Day Start?

Here’s a fun fact: Testers’ Day celebrates something that happened a long time ago—way back in 1947! It all started with a bug, but it’s not what you’re thinking about! A natural moth, flew into a Calculator (designed by Howard Aiken) making the calculator not to work as expected. This bug was discovered by Grace Hopper, a computer scientist at Harvard University and her team who then removed the squashed ‘bug’ and taped it to the project’s logbook with the notation: “first actual case of bug being found.” and referred to the action of eliminating the error as ‘debugging’.

From that day on, whenever something went wrong with a computer, people started calling it a “bug.” And now, whenever software testers find bugs, they carry on that tradition! That’s why Worlds Testers’ Day is celebrated on September 9th each year, to remember that first bug and celebrate the fantastic job testers do in finding bugs in our apps and games.

What do Testers Do Everyday?

Being a tester isn’t just about playing games all day, although that can be part of it! Let me take you through a day in the life of a tester:

Being a tester is like being a detective. You get to look for clues (bugs) and solve problems. You always ask questions like, “What happens if I press this button? Will the game crash if I do this?” Testers need to be curious, creative, and super patient!

And testers have a responsibility, too. It’s their job to ensure your apps and games are safe and fun. They don’t just test because it’s fun—they test because it’s the right thing to do. Ensuring something works properly means they care about the people who will use it—people like you!

Why is Testing Important?

You might be wondering, “Why do we need testing? Can’t the developers make the game or app perfectly in the first place?” Even though developers are really good at building things, sometimes little mistakes happen. Testers help catch those mistakes before the game or app is released.

Imagine downloading a new game that didn’t work at all. You’d be disappointed, right? Testers make sure that doesn’t happen. They help ensure the game is fun and works just how you expect it to. It’s all about making sure you have the best experience!

Is Testing Fun?

Besides making sure everything works perfectly, testing can also be a lot of fun! Testers get to play with apps and games before anyone else does, and they get to help make them even better. Every day is different, and there’s always a new challenge to solve.

So next time you play a game that works just right, remember that a tester helped make that happen! And who knows? Maybe one day, you’ll be a tester, too!

Tell Me More!

Here’s a little secret: there’s a fun way that testers can test things quickly and responsibly called Rapid Software Testing (RST).

Imagine you’re a detective trying to solve a mystery in a new game. Your job is to find any problems (or bugs) that might make the game stop working. Instead of following a long list of rules, you get to explore the game, try different things, and figure out the best way to spot these problems quickly. That’s what Rapid Software Testing (RST) is all about! It’s a super-smart way of testing games and apps faster while ensuring everything works. Testers who use RST are like speedy detectives who know where to look and what to do to find problems in the shortest time possible. It’s not just about pressing buttons fast; it’s about thinking smart and knowing where problems might hide.

Happy Testers’ Day!

So, that’s why we celebrate Testers’ Day! It’s a day to thank all the testers who work hard to find bugs and make apps and games better for everyone. Without testers, we’d all have many more “buggy” apps and games to deal with!

Happy Testers’ Day, and remember: Testing makes everything better!