From Web Worker Daily:

Is Public Beta a Warning or Invitation?

Time was when “beta” meant an early version of a product, made available to a very few, with engineers, developers and others recruiting knowledgeable testers to be part of the development process.

Now, more often then not, “beta” has become a marketing term, a come-on to get your product or software early.

Are you more or less hesitant when you see the word “beta” incorporated into a startup’s logo when it comes to the tools you use for your web working life? After all, Gmail is still in beta years after it launched, and years after many consider it their primary email address. I know I would be absolutely lost if anything happened to the also beta Google Calendar. Should I be giving my reliance on those services extra thought, given their beta status?

Thoughts? Opinions?

When I use something in beta, I do make a more concerted effort to be patient with things that don't work, are missing etc....

But I am also conscious of how much info I put in. With the exception of Gmail, I won't store/upload/share much in a beta.

*looks warily at the word "beta" on the Tangler logo*

This is a tough one.  It does seem to be that beta is a bit of a status symbol with a lot of "web 2.0" apps.  I also think it's a bit dangerous for the developer because they can keep excusing the fact that there are bugs while working on new features, rather than bringing out a perfectly working final release and then adding new features later.

I can't say I'm more wary about anything that says "beta", but then I tend to try out a lot of sites but don't actually stay with them for that long for the most part.  I didn't even realise Gmail was still in beta because I just download my emails via pop!

I joined Gmail when it was still exclusive, and so much time went by, I just assumed that it was out of beta!

I have been wondering about the same thing dekrazee.  Yet, I believe it is soon going to graduate from beta, to final.  I wrote an article not too long ago about this as well.

If any of you happened to catch their video project (a link is included in the article), then I believe that Gmail will be leaving beta soon, and as soon as that video is displayed, I think that is when the announce it.

Of course, this is all speculation by me, but it was the first significant move from Gmail, to have the video project, plus you are no longer required to be invited to Gmail, you can just sign up.  So it all points to Gmail leaving beta in my opinion, but we shall see

http://www.techindemand.com/2007/08/08/gmail-video-project-ending-soon-will-gmail-finally-be-leaving-beta-status/

Hallelujah! hahahaha

When they opened up to anyone to sign in, I really did think the beta was over

We are curious creatures by nature.  Have you ever - for fun - looked skyward in a public place to see if others would start looking up too?  Try it.  You might even gather a small crowd.  People stop - and follow - because they can't possibly be left out of the moment.   "I want to be among the first..."

We all want in.  Google capitalized on this when they started a selective campaign to 'hand out' Gmail invites.  But only from those who were already "in".  Everyone wanted one because very few had them.  Brilliant!  The Beta Steam Engine was rolling along.  What better way to harness the masses to test your product than creating a "members only" stampede.

Here lies the Warning.  Google has billions of dollars to roll around in the Beta Hay. Good for them.  Compare this with the thousands of Beta start-ups hoping to garnish high traffic in an effort to get their product to market.  I am personally tentative when Beta Programs (whether alpha, beta, gamma or delta), show off shiny Web 2.0 graphics and have cheer leader developers who spend more time fine tuning their Google Ads than they do proof reading.

I like looking up at the sky.  I like talking with others about what they see in the sky.  But when all is said and done my neck gets stiff if there's no sustenance.  Then I loose interest.  Much like I am now.

I'm hungry.  Therefore I'm going to the kitchen where there are no Betas and I can find something to sink my teeth into.

I'm new to the scene, so can someone give me a brief history course? Was Google the first to start this beta trend?

Is it a specifically Web2.0 trend?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_release_cycle#Beta

From the article:

The term beta test applied to software comes from an early IBM hardware product test convention dating back to punched card tabulating and sorting machines. Hardware first went through an alpha test for preliminary functionality and small scale manufacturing feasibility. Then came a beta test to verify that it actually correctly performed the functions it was supposed to and could be manufactured at scales necessary for the market, and then a c test to verify safety. With the advent of programmable computers and the first shareable software programs, IBM used the same terminology for testing software. Beta tests were conducted by people or groups other than the developers. As other companies began developing software for their own use, and for distribution to others, the terminology stuck and now is part of our common vocabulary.

Dekrazee, btw, I had been meaning to suggest for a long time...  Could you please tell one of the developers to PLEASE add a remove URL/Hyperlink button to the editor?  So many times I post text like the above, and then the formatting acts weird, and ah, I dunno.  I just would really like to see a remove hyperlink function because I don't know of any other way, and when I try to erase it, the text still holds the hyperlink when I'm typing.  So yeah.   Please let one of the developers know that there needs to be a way to remove hyperlinks

Okay, for sure... I'll pass that one on. It's one that I have troubles with too

Thanks!

Gmail released their collaboration video:

 (YouTube)

Yet I can't figure out why it is still in beta? (techindemand.com)

hmmmm....  video was neat, but didn't really tell me what it does