There's something incredibly seductive about automated testing tools like Segue Software's SilkPerformer. It makes sense to think that software can ease the burden of testing other software. Don't fall for it. Automated testing tools promise the stars, and sometimes just sometimes they get you as far as the moon. The key problem is that it's so hard to test even the most likely ways in which end users will use software.
People use software in random, chaotic ways that defy quantification.
SilkPerformer's new support for Common Object Request Broker Architecture and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol is a step in the right direction. But when it comes to software that humans use, there's no substitute for testing by humans. Don't rely on tools to test things that they can't anticipate. Inc. All rights reserved. Inc. Content originally published in Ziff Davis Media publications is the copyrighted property of Ziff Davis Media.