Exploratory Testing - why and how

Exploratory testing is like teenage sex: 

Everyone talks about it. 

Nobody really knows how to do it. 

Everyone thinks everyone else is doing it. 

So everyone claims they are doing it. 

This talk will have three main parts (approx. 20, 20, and 40 mins). 

At first, a bit of theory. I will define exploratory testing, how I understand it, how it differs from other techniques, and why it is so powerful when balanced well with other approaches. 

Then I will introduce the concept of a Test Session - how to plan it, execute and evaluate the results. Finally, I will explain useful tools and techniques. 

The third part will be a series of a few practical exercises introducing simple but powerful exploratory techniques.