JOINING THE BETA TEAM!

Beta testers are very important to the development of software packages. New features and changes need to be tested exhaustively before a new version can be released.

Beta testing is a complex process. New features interact with old ones making testing very difficult. New BBS types or support for new message bases are difficult to test as well. We therefore, need a very specialized and highly motivated group of people in order to get a new version ready for release.

To keep the complexity of testing manageable, we have developed a policy for how we recruit and manage the beta team. To sum it up in a nutshell, we recruit a new beta team with each version of ALLFIX. Based on the features that will be built and the changes that will be made, we decide what type of people we need on the team. We then select those people from the volunteers or actively recruit people if necessary. These people form the beta team for a specific version. After the a new version has been released, the beta team will be disbanned. This process is repeated when work on a new version is started.

All registered ALLFIX users are welcome to apply for a position on the beta team. If we have an opening, and you fit the bill, then you'll be placed on the team. If there is no opening for you, then you will be placed on a waiting list. When an opening appears, we will contact you to invite you to join.

It is important to note that people are mainly selected based on their qualifications. For example, every type of BBS supported by ALLFIX must be represented by at least one beta tester. When a particular system is currently not covered by someone on the team, we try to fill that vacancy as quickly as possible.

As a beta tester, you have the privilege of using the beta versions of ALLFIX. However, you also have a number of responsibilities. The two most important are:

  • We expect that our beta testers spend adequate time testing each new version.

    Next, we expect that the beta testers keep all new features and changes secret.

    • If you are interested in joining the beta team, please fill out the application form.

    If you have any questions about the beta team, please contact the beta team co-ordinator!