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Web applications: Being Beta

Fred Oliveira on January 9, 2006

Building web-apps The Beta tag - seems like every single application needs one nowadays. While I disagree with launching as a Beta (or with the Beta label) as an excuse for incomplete or inconsistent functionality, there’s a lot of people doing it. Mike at Techcrunch has a very good post with many of the issues he sees (and I see as well) with the web applications being launched every day.

A day doesn’t go by where in my email I get a new invitation for an upcoming web application or service that, “while in beta” is “too great to miss”. What if it fails? Should I be disappointed, or should I just expect it to be fixed because it’s beta software? In fact, why should I see it now instead of waiting for the fully-featured, 100% working version of it sometime soon?

Sometimes, it’s better to wait and release properly, than to launch early, under pressure, and fail miserably. Make sure you read Mike’s post, it’s worth it.

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PJ Hyett

Slawesome?

Fred

What can I say when I develop and don’t control?

shoelover

or just don’t slap the beta label on it or maybe companies should cut down on the hype and stop selling vapour-wear.

Just an idea

pedro mg

…flows to my mind the idea that the Beta Tag is nowadays a way for lawyers to sleep peacefuly…
It’s all in the Disclaimer…

Jie Kang

My thoughts exactly. Skip beta and don’t be crappy! :)

note: “be crappy” comes from this Guy Kawasaki post:
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/01/the_art_of_inno.html

Sócrates

Pertinent arguments, but we must now forget that one way to correct bugs is by testing, therefore why not allow people to start using an unfinished version and use the people as free beta testers!

The more the merrier: lots of people testing as they would use the program (not following testing walkthroughs) should increase the chances of detecting those bugs that would for sure escape the closed-beta testing.

Of course the down side of this is the risk of people losing important data during this period and all of us must keep in mind that while using beta-products.

pedro mg

well… for example, with Google, app bugs are the least. On the other hand, “content_scan_adwords_sense” bugs worry them :|
Havin’ millions of user is not a beta test anymore. There’s more to it. Bugs study i believe is a worry in http://www.writely.com. Great product!
Look at Apple. Announcement Intel partnership and some months later, have a new product, with rosetta problems coming the way, but imposing the product (MacBook Pro) as is. And putting on sale! Uau… Great company!

Nathan

I agree with the people that say, skip the beta and don’t be crappy.

Early adopters are your greatest asset when it comes to W.O.M marketing. Why would you release a buggy product to them. Word travels fast on the internet. Along with the “Hey it’s a great product” comes the “but it’s got lotta bugs in it.”

Using beta as a marketing ploy is great, using it as an actual testing bed, is a no no. Release good functional products to the public, not doing so will develop a bad brand perception.

theCreator

It’s ALL GOOGLE’s fault!

Something to say?