A Smattering of Selenium #69 is a short archival link roundup by Adam Goucher, published on November 22, 2011—not a Selenium release announcement or a current-news bulletin. Its links focused on practical test automation, including WebDriver synchronization, dynamic forms, Page Objects, and continuous integration.
What was A Smattering of Selenium #69?
It was one issue of the Selenium project’s “Smattering” blog roundup: a collection of links and brief descriptions rather than a report on a new Selenium version. The official Selenium blog lists Adam Goucher as the author and classifies the post under General, with the tag Smattering. The page records a later modification on August 7, 2021, described as a directory rename; that note does not change the original publication date.
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The post is best read as a snapshot of Selenium-related reading shared in 2011. Its descriptions reflect the author’s account at that time; they do not establish that the linked projects remain available, maintained, or recommended today.
What topics did the roundup cover?
- Continuous integration: ideas collected from the most recent CITCon iteration as of the post’s 2011 publication.
- Authentication testing: a Rails 3 technique using Cucumber, Capybara, and Selenium.
- Packaging: Pennyworth, described in the roundup as a continuous packaging system.
- Acceptance testing and design: JBehave, Selenium, and Page Objects.
- WebDriver timing: guidance about synchronization and deciding when to wait.
- Dynamic forms: using WebDriver with JBehave to test web forms that change dynamically.
- Data-driven testing: a JUnit test kata involving DDT.
- Automation balance: an article proposing “smell tests” for overreliance on one type of test automation.
- Python decorators: a library roundup that the post said listed 31 implementations at the time. That is a count reported in 2011, not a current or independently verified total.
What did it say about Bromine?
The roundup reported that Bromine was ending development and described it as powered by Selenium. This is a statement about the project’s status as presented in November 2011; the post does not verify Bromine’s status now.
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How to use this issue today
For historical context, the issue gives a useful map of concerns Selenium practitioners were discussing in 2011: integrating tests into continuous integration, making tests work with dynamic interfaces, and choosing synchronization points. Treat the linked material as period reading, not as current setup guidance. The roundup alone cannot confirm whether a linked page is still online or whether a described technique fits a modern application.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A current option for capturing pages during development
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