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Thread: beta fad?

  1. #1
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    beta fad?

    It seems to me that Google started to beta fad. Before google, software realeased under beta are mostly opensourced software, and big companies like Microsoft etc would never have dreamed of producing a software that isn't fully complete.

    But gmail seemed to have started that revolution. Now MSN search is in Beta, Yahoo search is in beta too, MS anti-spy is in beta, MSN messenger was in beta.

    Anyone feels likewise?
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  2. #2
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    Yeah. I think it's so they can release the products as soon as they work, not as soon as they work well.

  3. #3
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    I've been involved in many alpha and beta testing projects. I guess I haven't seen anything as mainstream as what you speak of though in recent years..

  4. #4
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    Google also brought about invite only services, and viral marketing. Albeit, viral marketing has been around for quite awhile, but it has become much larger in the past 2 years.
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  5. #5
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    Its more safer producing anything in Beta... no one can hold you liable for destruction caused :p

    Peace,
    Testing 1.. Testing 1..2.. Testing 1..2..3...

  6. #6
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    Re: beta fad?

    Originally posted by freak
    It seems to me that Google started to beta fad. Before google, software realeased under beta are mostly opensourced software, and big companies like Microsoft etc would never have dreamed of producing a software that isn't fully complete.

    But gmail seemed to have started that revolution. Now MSN search is in Beta, Yahoo search is in beta too, MS anti-spy is in beta, MSN messenger was in beta.

    Anyone feels likewise?
    Actually, I've been on Microsoft betas for years now. They've been doing it for as long as I can remember. I even believe they've been doing public betas for quite some time too.

  7. #7
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    I've been doing Microsoft betas for awhile too. I think the first one was Windows 98 beta (in 1997).

  8. #8
    Releasing something in a beta version, allows you to get it out there with minimul time investment and money investment, if it catches, then you can invest and finish it, if it flops, oh well it was just a beta..

    Great businness move for the most part..
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  9. #9
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    I think what FREAK is saying is, when Microsoft released their beta it was only for a few selected people, beta-testers.

    But Gmail have started the trend of releasing to the general public.

  10. #10
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    Originally posted by hellind2
    I think what FREAK is saying is, when Microsoft released their beta it was only for a few selected people, beta-testers.

    But Gmail have started the trend of releasing to the general public.
    I have to agree on this one. Beta users where once only a select group of people and now it's so open everyone seems to be "beta testing" something. But as someone has already pointed out... It's a grate way to get people to "try" something new and find all the possible problems quickly before making it final.

    Even my own company staff thought it best to welcome a few "beta testers" before we go mainstream public.
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  11. #11
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    Gmail didn't start Google's Beta trend.
    Google News is 2 1/2 years old and still in Beta.
    Google Groups is about 5 years old and is still in Beta
    I think it's just Google's way of avoiding liability and limiting expectations.

  12. #12
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    I think it's just Google's way of avoiding liability and limiting expectations.
    That is kinda lame too. Nowadays, anyone just produces beta, meaning it is all none of their business should anything happen.

    That brings back to the ethical question: Most ordinary user have no idea what the hell beta means. The probably thought it meant something great too. And thus, when they use the buggy software and something bad does happen...
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