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Semantic Spelunking

15th June 2017

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Damian Synadinos

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Talk Description

Testers [do|don’t] (help) [prevent|detect] problems

You've probably encountered many variations of this phrase. The phrase uses just a few words to express a lot of ideas. And so, it can be valuable to understand what each word means individually to better understand the ideas they convey collectively.

In this Masterclass, Damian begins with a brief and broad overview of semantics and some related ideas. This sets the stage for further exploration into each word and entire phrase. He goes on to discuss the meaning of:

Testers – What might this word mean to different people and in different contexts?
Do/Don’t – What do normative and descriptive statements have to do with it? Help – How does the inclusion/exclusion of this word affect the meaning of the phrase?
Prevent/Detect – What do causality and perspective have to do with which word we choose? Problems – What exactly is the thing that is being prevented or detected?

This Masterclass attempts to understand big ideas by examining small words. Go beyond wordplay and investigate concepts that can have real effects on you, your role, and your responsibilities.

What you’ll learn

By the end of this masterclass, you'll be able to:

Explain why words matter
Describe what semantics is
Analyse the meaning of individual words and their collective meaning
Reexamine your role and responsibilities by analysing the definition of "tester"

Damian Synadinos

Since 1993, Damian Synadinos has been helping “build better software and build software better” through testing. In that time, he has used various methods and tools in numerous roles at many companies in diverse industries. He is an entrepreneur and currently owns Ineffable Solutions, a training and consulting company. Damian is also an international keynote speaker, presenter, and workshop facilitator, as well as a mentor and advisor. He is an improvisor, an actor, and a playwright; an artist, an inventor, and a philosopher. He is a son, a brother, a husband, and a dad. And he values and connects each of these things (and much more) to approach life and solve problems in interesting and innovative ways.