My definition of Testing

 

When I read the post in QA hiccaps: The Anatomy of a Definition of Testing, where James puts the following definition of Testing:  "Testing is the pursuit of actual or potential incongruity".
I find this definition rather romance. I think it was intentionally so.

I thought about how I understand the Testing in the whole its variety of actions, and came to the following definition:

 Testing is making implicit things explicit to someone who matters.

Why I find this definition important is that it does not include a person of a tester and does not insists the tester is right doing this "testing".
Because all humans, including testers are to err in directions of their "pursuit". I often find "incongruities" that appear not important, and if I had "pursued" them long enough I'd feel disappointed.

But when we report to someone who matters that there was something "implicit" for them, we let THEM decide if this info is useful, having done our part of the deal.
And with "implicit" I also mean "unconcious". What everyone look at but no one sees. The things that "a clear eye" can find.

PS Thus, my definition doesn't include testers, but instead includes those who are using information taken from testers. No, I don't find this fair. Here is a point for improvement :-)