How I Found a Bug in Minutes — No Tools, Just Mindful Approach to Testing!
Hi everyone!
This is my first blog, and I’m starting a series on finding bugs without using any tools. I hope you like it!
I know most of the bugs in this series will be P4 or P5 (lower-priority issues), but that’s okay. The goal is to show how easy it can be to find these issues.
This series is especially for beginners. If you’re just starting your journey into testing, this is for you. I want to make it easy, approachable, and maybe even a little eye-opening.
Today, I’m sharing a weird bug that stops some users from creating an account. The issue happens when the system automatically generates usernames from email addresses. Let me explain in simple terms!
Let’s Talk About Website Functionality — How It Works
When users create accounts using an email address, the system automatically extracts the first part of the email address to generate the username. For example:
- hello123@gmail.com → Username: hello123
- testuser@outlook.com → Username: testuser
The Bug 🐞: Steps to Reproduce
Imagine User1 signs up using:
✅ Username: Jinx9
✅ Email: abcxyz@gmail.com
No problems here! But now, User2 tries to sign up using OAuth with:
❌ Email: Jinx9@gmail.com
Boom! The system blocks the registration. Since the system pulls the username from the email, it tries to create jinx9 again — but that’s already taken!
Impact of the Bug
- User Experience: Users trying to sign up via OAuth may get blocked, even though their email is unique.
- Accessibility: Blocks legitimate users from creating accounts, potentially leading to lost sign-ups.
Possible Solutions
- Unique Username Generation: Append a random number or string to the username if a conflict is detected. Example: “jinx9_123”
- Allow Users to Modify Usernames — Let OAuth users edit their username before finalizing the registration
- Error Messaging: Provide a clear error message suggesting alternative usernames if a conflict occurs.
Final Thoughts
This bug is a great example of how small design decisions can lead to unexpected issues. If you’re a developer or tester, keep an eye out for similar scenarios.
Hope you found this bug as interesting as I did — stay tuned for more easy-to-find bugs in this series! 🚀
If you found this blog interesting, don’t miss out on the second finding in this series! Check it out here: LINK
Trust me, it’s just as fun and eye-opening as this one! 😊
