Testing the testers...

Measuring the performance of testers (product quality assurance engineers) is required for the assessment of their capabilities in finding critical defects of the product before getting released in the market. Testing of testers is also needed to identify and recognize the talented team member who is more effective in making the product better by catching vital defects. The effort put in finding high priority/severity defects than cosmetic or low-value-to-customer defects should be recognized and rewarded. Devising a set of metrics gives a QA team leaders the ability to measure the performance of the team and to build a transparent appraisal/recognition system in the organization. Ensuring a team of highly skilled and effective testers will also optimize the cost-to-company (CTC) of the testers.

Before assessing the performance of a product quality engineer, it is appropriate to set the expectations from them - when do we say that a tester has done a good job?

So here is the discussion question:
How do you guage performance of a tester (quality engineer)? How would you assess the performance of a proudct quality engineer (tester) YOU being –
a) A product developer (you are a developer and assessing a tester)
b) A Quality Engineering Team Manager ( you are a Manager and assessing a tester)
c) A fellow tester (you are another tester and assessing a fellow tester)

I am looking for performance metrices/indicators/expectations that would show a true picture of a tester's performance - I am looking for "Metrices" or "Attributes" as "Indicator" of performance; something that would make the assessment more objective / would assist in relative assessment.

Dark User Interfaces

I really like these newer user interfaces that use a dark gray/black color palette. The first time I saw it was in the early releases of the Microsoft Expression products. Then, I saw the UI of the Adobe CS products shift to a darker palette. And following that, Corel's graphics program shifted to a black/gray interface.

I like the dark UI because it allows the thing you're actually working on to stand out more. The UI itself competes less for the user's attention. The items you want are available and visible...but they're understated...less screaming, "Look at me. Look. At. Me." than products with more colorful palettes.

Question: Anyone know of a UI that uses a dark palette that's not a graphics program?

Below: zBrush

Below: Adobe Bridge

Below: CoolIris

Below: Paint Shop Pro X2

Below: Microsoft Expression Design 2