The Software QA Community

I've been involved in Software Quality Assurance now for over 14 years, and it's a profession that I love. By the very nature of the job, there's always something new to discover: new tools, new processes, new schools of thought and more. One of the best discoveries you can make is that you're not alone by any means: there's a huge, thriving community of QA folks out there, eager to communicate and share what they know.

That discovery for me came well into my second year in QA. I was trying to figure out what it was all about, and I knew there had to be more. Strictly by chance, I stumbled on a local QA group, AQAA (Atlanta Quality Assurance Association, www.aqaa.org). I started going to meetings, and started learning pretty much anything and everything I wanted to know about my chosen profession. And I've been there ever since, serving on the board for several years now to try and pay back what the community has done for me.

There's more. QA folks gather all over the web. It seems that if you have a question or problem, the answer you need is only a few clicks away. Doesn't seem to matter what it is: process, tools, technical issues with a specific application... there's always someone willing to help.

If you're just starting down the QA path, welcome. If you've been doing this for awhile, and you haven't participated, get out there! Answer questions, join a local group -- if there isn't one where you are, start one! The QA community needs you. Hey, we're all in this together...