[pmmail-list] Digest (08/01/2002 09:01) (#2002-286)

[Simon Wright]

On Thu, 01 Aug 2002 09:01:21 -0400,
jimmym@blueprintsoftwareworks.com wrote:

>I had hoped these statements made it clear that this was truley _beta_ software. I realize that the current recommended releases are also labeled 
>beta, but none of these have been posted online for public download. Please let me know how I could better distinguish and clarify the status of 
>program releases.

Brandon:

I think that you do enough by labeling a program "beta" and
especially with the info that you posted as well. By definition
anyone using a beta program should expect to have problems and
such code should only be used on test systems or with test data.
I think to increase the testing of the program, it is good to
release it through the list as long as it is labeled as a beta.
No-one with data that they need to keep intact should be using
the beta *at least* until it's been doing the rounds for a few
days and the more obvious bugs eliminated. If people really want
to run beta products on production systems then backup, backup,
backup first!

Hey, Microsoft have been doing this (releasing betas for public
testing) for years :-) BSW has generally released good beta code
and announcing it only on this list hardly counts as public I
think, but with the obvious activity on new releases, as well as
the speed of the last few few, no-one should expect bulletproof
code at this stage.

I think that the commitment that BSW have begun to show on this
list - feedback. betas, timely comments - has improved out of
all recognition in the last few weeks and I'm happy about that.
Please keep up the excellent work.

Regards,

Simon Wright.

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