

Posterous is Not in beta - dcurtis
http://sachin.posterous.com/posterouscom-is-not-in-beta

======
huhtenberg
> _Fuck no. "Beta" is just an excuse to release buggy software and not have to
> take responsibility for it._

Fuck no. Under conventional ("software engineering") definition, _beta_ is a
stage when a product may be missing few features (e.g. complete help system),
but when you can already show it to the public. Unstable versions or those
missing major features are labeled as _alphas_ if they are released outside of
the development or QA. These are typically released in a restricted fashion
and are not available to a general public.

------
jacobscott
I think it is stand-up that Posterous doesn't hide behind "Beta" when
something goes wrong. At the same time, the service is not as mature or robust
as, say, WordPress. This makes a lot of sense since Posterous is a very recent
startup.

Maybe they're in gamma? Maybe, like Hadoop, they're version 0.X? I'm sure
rantfoil can enlighten us.

~~~
rantfoil
Haha, well, we make no excuses. Robustness and maturity are things that come
with time and a whole lot of elbow grease. (Which we are applying liberally to
the area.) ;-)

------
axod
Beta is a good marketing device. It makes people think they are getting
something "Hot off the press".

I don't use it myself, but I can see why some others might.

It's just another meaningless buzzword at the end of the day.

------
tdavis
TicketStumbler was in private beta for a month or so, but we never did get
around to putting the fancy tag on our logo...

I don't think Posterous is in Beta or Gamma or Epsilon or any other nonsense.
It's just... Posterous!

------
Tichy
That seems a bit silly. What is wrong with testing an application that is not
yet 100% finished?

~~~
rantfoil
What's wrong is being in a perpetual state of beta. If you release software
into the world, take full responsibility for it. Saying you're in beta is like
blaming your parents for bad parenting when you're 30 and living at home.

~~~
axod
People like being first to get something. They like having an invite. They
like getting a backstage pass. They like being specially selected to try some
Beta software.

It's not all about being able to blame bugs, it's also a good marketing
strategy to make users feel privileged or important.

~~~
rantfoil
This I agree with -- beta has a time and place, and as a marketing strategy it
can work. It just _feels_ as though beta is used as a "Oh, my place is such a
mess..." kind of excuse.

------
JMiao
i once felt the same way. it's important to note that "beta" isn't just
limited to code, especially if you're building something technically solid yet
"experimental" in design (i.e. involving complex algorithms or even game
mechanics).

------
cellis
I'm in Lambda.

------
goodkarma
I think "beta" gets a bad rap nowadays because everyone uses it. I mean, GMail
has been in "beta" since it launched!

Beta doesn't mean your code is bad, it just means you're not at "version 1.0".
There is nothing wrong with launching your app in beta for a few months.

------
pierrefar
Being in beta can mean so many things. One good way to use it is define a
stage where you're looking for testers prior to launch. Some set ups need to
be tested by a number of testers larger than "a handful of friends". They will
suggest usability improvements, suggest features, spot typos, break things you
didn't think could be broken, etc.

Not to mention that if you impress your beta testers, you'll have them acting
like your marketing force at launch.

In the end, a well-run beta can do wonders to the quality of the launched
software. So please don't go poo-pooing beta testing. Yes it's an abused term
but it's still a good thing for those that know how to do it.

------
japiejo
See this passage on BETA stages by 37signals:

<http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch15_Better_Not_Beta.php>

------
subwindow
I agree. I think beta should mean "Not all functionality is complete" as
opposed to "Not all functionality is working". There is no excuse to release
buggy software. None.

------
ALee
Yeah, it's weird, how people even use the terms pre-alpha, alpha, beta, or
beta invite-only. It just seems that if people can get to it, then it's
public.

