[sf-perl] Escalation or something else?

[Garth Webb]

On Sun, May 4, 2008 at 6:54 PM, Neil Heller <nheller at silcon.com> wrote:
>
> In the following situation, what is your opinion of the best course of
> action?
>
> As a developer, you have completed a module and have moved it for testing.
> A tester discovers a bug of mid-severity.
> You say "that's no bug, that's a feature.  Besides, the release is 1 hour
> away."
>
> Does the tester escalate the problem to his manager?
> Does the code get released with the bug (feature)?
>
> Does something else happen?

First of all there should be more than the tester and the developer
involved in a potential problem with a release, engineering and
project managers should be involved.  Second, if its a feature then
the developer should be able to point to the specs that define it as a
feature, or its not a feature, its a bug.  Third, saying 'besides, the
release to close' trivializes the job of the QA person.  If a big
customer facing bug screws up the product, QA is going to take the
heat.  It'd be like QA saying to the developer, "Oh, don't bother
fixing those SQL-injection vunerablities, I don't feel like testing
them"

Ultimately the person who will take responsibility for any problems
with the product should make the call and everyone involved should be
aware of any sacrifices in testing or coding that were made in
exchange for the time.

Garth