The last few years have seen huge increases in beta testers and transparency for Microsoft products in development. I remember not too long ago when beta testers for MSN Messenger were rather uncommon in public forums, or at least they preferred to keep quiet about it.
Microsoft has given far greater awareness to beta testing and more people are keen to to get into it. Each new version seems to have more beta hype than the last, but I think it was around MSN Messenger 7 when it really took off.
So this brings me to the latest poll, have you beta tested Messenger? Whether it be through Microsoft Connect/BetaPlace, or public betas (just not leaked versions!).
Either you have or you haven’t, but as always I give more specific options to choose from, one of which is Yes, to get the latest version. There’s a trend where users get into the beta programme, not to provide feedback back to Microsoft, but to get the latest and greatest or have something most people don’t have. Be honest, have you done this?
i voted yes once, i did officially beta test windows live messenger via ideas.live.com, yes i admit initially i beta tested it to get the latest version cause i just have to have the latest versions of all my software even if i do not need the extra functionality it provides i still have to have it. however there were a few times during the beta where it didnt work right and in those instances i reported the information to microsoft to aid there developement of messenger, i guess i am what might be called a “ppassive tester” if i see something wrong that effects me ill report it otherwise i just sit back and enjoy.
Yes, I have officialy tested WLM, but there are lots of wow’s and surprises about microsoft products, and in theory they are good, but the betas are intended for developers, or people who knows about programming or software, and trying to get a beta version only to “test” it, it’s a use of no sense because it could be a little dangerous to your computer, but anyways, not counting with th fact of the danger, the sensation of being part of a selected user who can see and use a pre-product, is great.
alpdrucken i do see your point about the danger with betas if you don’t know what your doing, back in 1998 i bought my first computer it was a compaq 386 that had windows 3.11 on it and wasnt capable of running win95, i learnt a hell of a lot about MS Dos while i owned this machine as thats where you had to go to do your scandisks and defrags, i then about a year or so later got a pc from my brotherinlaws mate, it ran on win95 and was ok until i out grew it, i then bought a packard bell platinum 3450 and then my hell began, packard bell tatoo there hard drives so only there preinstalled components that they select for that machine can be installed from the master cd’s, the machine was buggy and often crashed, i kept ring thetre tech support they threw me from one department to another cause nobody knew what they were doing and when i did eventually get to speak to somebody who knew anything they told me to reformat the pc in instances when i had tryed that before ringing they said my master disc were currupted and a new set had to be dispatch from the netherlands. in the end i got so fed up with this machine i got some discs to wipe the tatoo out of the machine and installed windows from a boxed copy i bought from pc world and the machine performed ok for the next year, i will never use packard bells ever again, i now buy custom built machines which i order over the phone from specialist custom build specialists and if i encounter problems i will fix them myself using pure logic bouncing ideas off my dad who is a former mechanic, in most cases we can fix any issue ourselves, if we do get a situation we cant fix ourselves then i ring my uncle ian and he can usually help us out. in short in the near to 9 years i have owned a computer i have become quite an experienced user so beta testing isnt really that dangerous for me, yes it has its risks but i can usually recover from most problems, at the end of the day if the beta buggers me up big time theres always packard bells solution (format, format & format some more) LOL.
I think that most of the MSN Beta hype started around the release of 6.0. I think Microsoft only played into feeding the hype after 6 was released. When they realized just how many people were putting so much effort to get the latest version of their client they decided to capitalize.
In all I don’t think there is much “fun” in beta testing anymore because I am seriously sick of the feature fortified WLM we use today. I don’t think we need all the bubblegum teenibopper bull added in the last few versions.
What annoys me is that I have never tested Messenger within the news groups. I’m always finding bugs and I have developed a constant rant at particular features within the program *cough* file transfer *cough*, but as luck will have it I’m never selected. I’m really passionate about the program as well. Maybe one day …
I really like these polls btw. Good idea Daniel (Y).