Should developers have early access to Beta releases?

Slavik said:
You talk as if you expect to run a beta release in production. Which is the whole flaw in your arguement.
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You assume.

Which is a flaw with that post.

I don't expect to run anything in beta. It would simply be a bonus in my eyes, as well as others it seems, for some developers to have a head start. And with that, I'm outta this convo.
 
Slavik said:
You talk as if you expect to run a beta release in production. Which is the whole flaw in your arguement.
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Can you explain to me what is the flaw in Sheldon's post? because I cannot see it. He never said he would run it on a live site.

edit added
 
Slavik said:
You talk as if you expect to run a beta release in production. Which is the whole flaw in your arguement.
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Don't think it's really about running it in production or not. It's more being ready for our clients when they start upgrading. Both aspects apply with that, for both developers and web hosts. Things could get real sticky fast if something turned out not to be compatible with say something in cPanel.
 
If it's not broke, why fix it?

@Kier @Ashley and @Mike have always preferred to keep everyone in the process -vs- having a closed inner circle. It's what has made XenForo such a success and continues to make it an easy development to follow along with.

Because all customers are treated equally when development and releases are concerned. :)
 
Mike Edge said:
Don't think it's really about running it in production or not. It's more being ready for our clients when they start upgrading. Both aspects apply with that, for both developers and web hosts. Thinks could get real sticky fast if something turned out not to be compatible with say something in cPanel.
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Which is why a beta release is done.... so you can test these things before gold... how hard of a concept is that to grasp?

If your clients are upgrading to a beta release, without the ability to debug and fix things themselves, then they should be waiting for the gold release. If not, then they need to be educated.

It. realy. is. that. simple.


The alternative is, XenForo releases 1.2 Gold release with no beta, and everyone complains that stuff breaks.

So again, the whole point of the beta, is so people can do the testing before gold. Giving a small group even earlier access, serves no purpose and only leads to people feeling excluded, when the whole point of the public beta, is to give them the time they are asking for to fix their addons!
 
Sheldon said:
Have xF do it as a user upgrade, add a few funds to their pockets... hah. Allow early access for X amount.
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Yeap, that's a good idea. I'd pay an extra $25.00 a year to be included in something like that. Could make in a NDA type of thing too if concern is ppl running the paid early release as production sites preventing them to do so til a public release.
 
Chris Deeming said:
The first releases were closed beta, actually.
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First beta release was also poorer for it. It was only after things were public did it live to its full potential. And every release since then both final and beta has brought things forward as public releases.

The idea of a closed inner circle does not help development.
 
Adam Howard said:
First beta release was also poorer for it. It was only after things were public did it live to its full potential. And every release since then both final and beta has brought things forward as public releases.

The idea of a closed inner circle does not help development.
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The closed beta wasn't poorer for it at all. A LOT of work got done in a very short amount of time.
 
Azhria Lilu said:
The closed beta wasn't poorer for it at all. A LOT of work got done in a very short amount of time.
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A difference of opinion. I recall A LOT of work needed once the it was bright into light.

The truth is the more people who have beta testing, the better the Gold / Final release can be.
 
Adam Howard said:
we're getting off topic...

The only point I come to make in this thread was that public beta's are more productive and benefit everyone.
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Make that point. No need for the tall stories along with it.

I think people sometimes respect your opinions. That's all lost the moment our BS detectors start alarming... Sorry to be frank.

But yeah, off topic.

Personally I think a phased approach encompassing pretty much all suggestions in this thread is probably more ideal.

1) Development
3) Internal alpha test
4) Wider alpha/beta test (to include a range of service providers, developers and forum admins. Doesn't matter who. Names out of a hat would make it fair)
5) Public install at XenForo.com.
6) Public availability beta test
7) Release

I think there's value in not making any potential bugs public which is why I think the stage we're in now should have come after several other phases.

But, equally, I'm sure a lot of thought has gone into the current process and if it works for XenForo then it should continue.
 
All this whining about "it's not fair" is ridiculous. If people tried to dictate who I can or can't share something with or whatever else, I'd show them exactly where they can stick it. We all pick a small group of members to be staff on our forums, does that make them better members, too? Does that make the other members riff-raffs? This is stupid.
 
Chris Deeming said:
Make that point. No need for the tall stories along with it.

I think people sometimes respect your opinions. That's all lost the moment our BS detectors start alarming... Sorry to be frank.
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Accept the fact that none of us here, not even you or I, are all knowing and have all the answers. So "truth" is often only what you know in the moment. Unless you're an all knowing powerful GOD and have neglected to tell us.

And also accept the fact that I'm not someone who proves himself. People can like it, hate it, respect it, or call me a liar. It's all the same to me.

Excuse me for being so frank. :)

I respect your opinion @Chris Deeming as a developer and most times as a human being. Sometimes I believe you and others would like me to connect more dots or back up more things, but that's just not who I am. I say what I know and I leave it.

Like it or leave it.

I'm going to leave this thread now.... I've said my peace..... The usual replies from the usual predictable people will follow & I'm just not interested in it.

As I said.... I believe an open beta is better overall based on what I've seen here and else where to compare.
 
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