I’ve been doing development work for an online brokerage for 5 years, and my own startup the past 3. For me, development is fun and exciting. However, QA software testing is a nightmare.
Perhaps internet bandwidth and the ability to patch software made QA less important than years ago? However, just because the rules are more relaxed doesn’t mean it doesn’t impact corporate image in a very bad way every time somebody finds fault with your software or website.
Developers hate to do QA. Number one, just like writing, you don’t see your own typos. Two, the combination of hardware, OS, browser makes the testing process exponentially lengthy.
Now what if you can tap into the power of the internet to do QA for you? Thereby testing virtually all software/hardware combos? Well you can, and the key is that you can set your own incentive!
Pay4Bugs.com has created a cutting edge online platform that enables developers of every size to lower software QA costs. Upload details regarding your project, be it an executable or website, name your bug price, and let the community of testers work for you.
Want to find all typos on your website? Put up an reward for $0.10 a bug. What about broken links? Create a separate assignment at $0.15. Got a big project brewing at your company? Set bugs at $5 each and watch the community take on it aggressively!
There’s no cost to signup, you can even post free projects at $0 bug value. Some testers are simply kind at heart, I guess.
Remember last november when Firstrade did a black-friday special? Perhaps first among online brokers. Well the lovely blue birds are back for Valentine’s Day. Check out the Firstrade Love Bird Special at
Just yesterday, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont proposed an amendment of the bailout bill to ban all banks receiving TARP money from hiring H-1B workers.
“If banks are going to be getting TARP money — American taxpayer money — then they should be hiring American workers”said Senator Grassley.
While I definitely can see the nationalism behind the argument, why should H-1B workers be among the first victims of the economic downturn? I’m an H-1B worker in the U.S. and I really don’t see the point of the senator’s efforts. Here’s why:
- H-1B workers pay taxes, in fact we pay them religiously or we risk deportation. Can’t say the same about some of the US government officials.
- H-1B is designed to fill jobs that cannot be filled by Americans. I do acknowledge that some areas of the job market does abuse H-1Bs, but they are mostly outsourcing technology firms, not banks who’re closely watched by regulators.
- H-1B are all buying new houses as they build their own American Dream, why take that away from a depressed market?
If it does pass, I feel terrible for the brilliant young minds who just landed a job at these banks and have yet to process their H-1B. Good luck guys.
*UPDATE – Senators Sanders and Grassley softened what they had originally proposed, a flat-out one-year ban on hiring foreign-visa workers. The current policy: banks seeking visas to bring in foreign workers would be barred from displacing or replacing American employees for three months before and three months after petitioning the government for the visas. Does this apply to H-1B extensions too?
On the surface, this modification looks slightly less extreme. However, this is still a massive deterrant for companies looking to hire H-1B talent.
