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Selenium News and Updates: A Smattering of Selenium 77

A look back at Selenium’s January 2012 Smattering #77: its author, the links it collected, and what to keep in mind when reading this historical roundup.

By the ScreenshotNeo team4 October 20264 min read

A Smattering of Selenium #77 was a short community link roundup by Adam Goucher, published January 31, 2012. It was not a Selenium release announcement or a step-by-step tutorial: it collected pointers about test diagnostics, browser performance data, Python tools, deployment software, and one joke about repetitive work. Read the original post on Selenium’s blog.

What was A Smattering of Selenium #77?

It was one entry in a series of brief Selenium community roundups. Goucher framed the week as an effort to publish a Smattering each day and clear his queue of collected links. The Selenium archive also lists #77 among the posts tagged “Smattering.”

The post’s opening line was: “No. Really. A Smattering every day this week and I’ll have the link queue cleared.” That explains the format: a curated bundle of links, rather than a single topic explored in depth.

When was it published, and who wrote it?

  • Author: Adam Goucher
  • Publication date: January 31, 2012
  • Series: A Smattering of Selenium, installment #77

These details come from the original Selenium post and its Smattering archive.

The post’s items were pointers, not full explanations. In broad terms, they covered:

  1. Capturing web performance data with Selenium: a link discussed using BrowserMob Proxy alongside Selenium to collect performance information.
  2. Python HTTP tooling: a suggestion to use Python’s Requests module and the Envoy library instead of lower-level alternatives discussed in the referenced post.
  3. Screenshots when Selenium tests fail: a link described a JUnit-based approach to saving screenshots for test diagnostics.
  4. Deployment tooling: a note about Rackspace open-sourcing Dreadnot and its relationship to Deployinator.
  5. A joke about repetitive tasks: the roundup ended with a humorous Twitter link.

This list describes what the 2012 roundup pointed readers toward. It does not establish whether the referenced tools are maintained, compatible with current Selenium versions, or suitable for a new project today.

How to use this historical roundup today

  1. Use it as a record of community interests in 2012. The links show that test failure diagnostics, performance collection, Python HTTP libraries, and deployment automation were part of the Selenium community conversation.
  2. Follow original links for historical context. Treat each pointer as a lead to an older discussion, not as current setup guidance.
  3. Check present-day documentation before adopting a tool. Confirm that its project is available, maintained, and compatible with your browser, language, and Selenium version. The roundup itself does not verify those present-day details.
  4. Choose diagnostic output to match the problem. For a failed UI test, a screenshot can preserve visible state; performance investigation may need timing or network data as well. The post mentions both areas but does not prescribe a modern test architecture.

What the post does not tell you

  • It does not announce a Selenium version or feature release.
  • It does not provide a complete tutorial for collecting performance data or taking failure screenshots.
  • It does not report benchmarks, prices, or current compatibility for the named projects.
  • It does not compare current screenshot services or recommend a present-day provider.

Keeping those limits clear prevents a historical link roundup from being mistaken for current implementation advice.

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FAQ

Is A Smattering of Selenium #77 a Selenium release note?

No. It is a dated collection of links, not a release announcement.

Does the post show how to take screenshots on test failure?

It points to a JUnit-related article about that subject, but the roundup itself is not a complete implementation guide.

Should I use the tools mentioned in it now?

The post alone cannot answer that. Check each project’s current documentation and compatibility information before choosing it.

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