What is the importance of requirements gathering in a project?

Requirements gathering and understanding the project is an essential thing. Before starting any project we need to understand the requirements. What is the purpose of the project? What for the client is making a website? In our office we have started making a website for magazine viewing. In the proposal it was clearly mentioned that magazine should be converted from pdf to swf while uploading from the back end. But we people did it in a reverse way PDF to image conversion. It was totally the mistake of not understanding the requirements. So understanding the requirements is an essential thing for any project.

Difference between manual testing and automated testing?

Manual testing is a time consuming process
Require man power to do testing.
Test cases will be prepared by testers and requirement will be checked depending on the test cases.
Cost effective process because we need to pay.
Human being can think and implement new ideas of testing manually.
Man power can adjust to the changes given by client but machine cannot.
What I mean is testers can check with the new requirements but where as tool cannot adjust.
We have to change the script depending on the changes made in the requirement.

Automation testing
The process requires initial investment which will be very costly.
Proper planning need to be done before implementing the process.
Without proper planning,if we start the process. There is a chance of failing.
We need to think which process need to be automated and proper test cases need to be prepared.
Time consuming will be less when compared to manual testing.
Machine cannot think and will implement only things which are written in script or written in test cases.
Performance of a website where real time data changes occur can be checked with tools like load runner.
Eg: Banking website: Here we can check how the system is performing at different load levels.
Hardware consumption will be very less i.e., we can generate many number of virtual users depending on the license purchased.
Even there is chance of failing in automation testing when the requirement is not properly analyzed.

Problem in ATM

I was having my salary account in ICICI Bank. My salary was credited and the balance was showing in my internet banking account. But when I have tried to with draw amount from ATM's of Andhra Bank and Vijaya Bank. Both ATM's declined the transaction. Whether there was problem in one ATM. Then the other ATM has to definitely work. But at a time two ATM's cannot go wrong. Then where was the problem? Whether the problem was in my account or there was a delay in transfer of money from office. But in real time if machine's like ATM won't work, then the customers feel dis satisfactory.
There is an Andhra Bank ATM near my home (Sharada Nagar Colony, Karwan Branch). The ATM frequently goes out of service. Image if you are doing a money transaction through ATM suddenly the ATM won't work. How frustrating it will be. So What I mean is thorough testing need to be done before implementation of any system.

What is the difference between achieving excellence and success in testing?

Excellence is getting more knowledge in subject. Success is nothing but just getting job in a good company.
Success is just getting certification on testing by mugging up the definitions.
Excellence is nothing but getting in depth knowledge on testing.So just try for achieving excellence in subject, success will automatically follow you.