I wrote an article for Automated Software Testing magazine on test automation politics for the November issue. A PDF copy of the article is available here: Test Automation Politics 101.

Article back story: I had a nice dinner with Dot Graham and Dion Johnson this spring. As we were sharing automation stories, Dion asked if I would be interested in writing an article on politics and test automation. Since most automation writing focuses on tools, results and ideals, there isn’t a lot out there on the social aspects of automation. I thought I’d provide my take on some social challenges I learned about the hard way. I was inspired by Bach’s Test Automation Snake Oil. Bach doesn’t pull punches, and I tried not to either. I’ve often thought that it would have been nice to have been advised on potential controversies when I was starting out in test automation, so we took a handbook approach with the article.

I hope you enjoy it, and if you’re starting out in test automation, you find the article informative. If you’re currently facing any of the resistance I outlined, I hope you find the content encouraging.