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From: tcs@mailer.jhuapl.edu (Carl Schelin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Beta Testing
Message-ID: <1991Feb25.170831.6226@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu>
Date: 25 Feb 91 17:08:31 GMT
References: <60868@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> <1991Feb25.150626.14528@isis.cs.du.edu>
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Organization: Johns Hopkins University - Applied Physics Lab
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In article <1991Feb25.150626.14528@isis.cs.du.edu>, ebergman@isis.cs.du.edu (Eric Bergman-Terrell) says:
>
>
>
>While I haven't beta-tested anyone else's software, I have recruited testers
>for my own software.
>
>Here's my advice:  Get the mail addresses of vendors of software that you
>use often and understand well (for example, if you're a spreadsheet user,
>get Lotus' address).  Write letters to the vendors mentioning the specific
>product you'd like to test, and briefly state your qualifications.  
>
>Terrell

Of course, as a beta tester, you have to be ready to lose days of work
when that bug that only occurs when you press /wsrwo (not real keys) 
that causes the system to crash. You should be looking to test software
not get it before anyone else does (not saying that you are, just a
warning).

Just look at the bugs that show up after it's released and multiply it by
10. Consider that they didn't know that the chr$(15) for a normal printer
really kicks out 15 blank pages on yours (a minor bug, but anoying).

Carl Schelin
tcs@mailer.jhuapl.edu