Beta means that it is a Google product, right?

SwapnaliKnuks

as far as i'm concerned, if program hits 1.0, it has long since enslaved all humans to working in the mines.

fuhrysteve

"Beta" is Google's way of covering their asses when the product fails. So every Microsoft product should have "beta" on it too.

drsphincter

Beta means its new, and if it's something new I must have it.

ballhog

I was just wondering this a few days ago while I was at college... Everything Google has is still in beta, aside from the fact that it's been available to the public in differnt versions... I like the fact that some of it was released before... for lack of a better word... perfection, or completion (because nothing is perfect), but enough is enough. Gmail is a pretty thorough email application, It is my preffered one outside of work... It's probably the closest it's been to completion than ever, so why is it still in beta.... Did the definition change and the users didnt get the memo because google didnt want us to know...? Watch, next up, chrome goes through 3 different versions and still winds up in beta, and android will be on 50 phones and still be in beta.... goddanm it google, I really like what you guys do and everything, and I acknowledge, and maybee even resect and admire how you make your money, BUT take some of your crap put of beta, and put some real effort into making the who process seamless... I still have some issues with gmail and the callendar app, but there in beta, so I can't complain...right?.... anyone?

etaripamai

Personally, Beta means nothing.
Just a way for corporations to cover their tracks if all hell breaks loose, and all data is spread to third parties, or it crashes.

Gmail has been around for what... 4 years??
Thats way to long for a beta!
Plus, public beta is NOT really beta, invites only are beta, for first month or so --- like Halo 3 beta, that was a beta!

-=Ben=-

To me, beta implies "ahead of the game" and slightly "experimental".. definitely a good thing. Because so many of Google's products are and always have been in beta I don't associate beta with anything negative as far as performance goes, though sometimes my favorite beta products meet an untimely end (Google Send-To-Phone comes to mind).

shle896

Look at it this way, they're GIVING you the stuff for free. It least they give you a heads up about the stability with the word "BETA".

Microsoft could take a lesson.

Windows 3.1 = beta
Windows ME = beta
Windows Vista = beta

A heads up would have been nice in those cases Billy!

Navin R Johnson

i believe google keeps the Beta label as a way of saying products are in constant development and can and will change without warning, usually for the better.

Kuroyume

@nlvivar: thats what it's supposed to mean. the software as a service world in general has changed the meaning of it, because features can be added real easily, and it doesnt always effect the 'version' of the softwre. case in point, do you know what version of gmail you are running?

natenovs

Beta just means that the product is not finished but a select few (everyone) can use the product and provide the company with feedback. It is handy for ironing out bugs, but can also be used to test the waters and see how the "beta testers" will actually use the product, vs how they think it will be used.

As a software engineer, my company will typically use beta tests to iron out the kinks, but its not unheard of for us to slip in the occasional enhancement during the testing phase. It is not uncommon for the testers to send back comments like "Works well, but it would be nice if it..."

plasticbiker

Google is releasing Alpha versions, not Beta. Alpha's are not generally released to the public because they are buggy as hell and final features are not in place. Google is trying to rewrite the definition of Beta. If that happens, how long till we start getting Gamma versions of software?

ThickSkinned

"Don't whine at us, it's not finished."

Ortzinator

It means for the version in question:
* feature complete,
* major bugs quashed,
* a few minor bugs remain,
* deemed not quite ready for public consumption, and
* don't count on it to be working in all situations.

Not that Wikipedia knows everything, but its description is pretty good.
[en.wikipedia.org]

nlvivar

I do think that we're talking about a whole new definition of the word after the Google implementation of it. Now it's become part of the brand and it means a lot of different things: "we're constantly developing things", "get this, it's very new and edgy" and (of course) "it's bound to have bugs". I think that more and more it doesn't mean much and it has made a lot of people more willing to try out products at this stage. I'm sure the impending (?) beta release of of the new Windows OS will prove this

alexandr0s

For me, "beta" used to mean "hey guys, it's still in development, so stay away unless you're risky!" Now, it seems to be more along the lines of "It's pretty good, but just because it doesn't have some of your favorite functionality, don't worry -- we're still working on it. Don't get mad at us -- it's only in beta. We're not done... but you can pretty much be ok using it however you want..."

So yeah, the meaning has clearly changed. It used to specifically refer to an early stage of development, but now it's more like it refers to an early actual release. Of course, I want to see this Google stuff when it gets out of beta...

Platypus Man

For me it means fighting fish kept in little bowls.

Jon

I was just wondering about this today, actually...
I think they just think it sounds cool.

thebigcheese

It's a strange approach they take. It's tempting to suspect that they can sidestep criticism if there is a bug by claiming "beta", but I wonder if it isn't just so they can release what they want when they want without worrying about "versions" and "upgrades" and corporate IT policies that require a year of testing with inhouse apps before a new version of something can be used.

jsmorley

I don't really think the definition is changing, I just think Google operates under a different (and ridiculous) definition.

joelena

beta to THEM means "we use this word because if it messes up on you, you cannot blame us or be angry at us."

jgeezy

For me it means new shiny features faster, for free

burnblue

It means new stuff faster, for free

burnblue

I dunno, I'm what you call an "early-adopter" so beta really doesn't mean a whole lot to me. If the product works, or has been known to work, it doesn't matter to me if it's a beta or not. I have noticed, however, that tons of Google's products are beta, and it is a little weird, especially since Gmail has been around for how long now?

codeBLUE

Recently for me it means:

Windows Vista
Xbox 360 (red ring baby)
Too Human
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Beta is something anticipated you pay for.

agentgray

Even though I'm an open source advocate I blame a lot of this on the Open Source community (blame may be the wrong word)

There used to be a rule that you avoided all *.0 releases because they were essentially a public beta. Now open source projects are taking longer to get to 1.0 (wine took 10+ years) so longer betas are to be expected.

Yes feature adds should be done in alpha and bug chasing should be done in beta and "stable" should be in release versions. But the open source rule of release early and release often have made these ideas a thing of the past.

CyberCowboy

I believe that they are using this as an excuse in case anything major goes wrong with the app. "Well, it's still in a Beta phase".

It's a brilliant strategy..

th3gh05t

In Google's case, they want you to think, "cool new software I can try", while their lawyers are thinking, "CYA".

penguiniator

i've been using gmail for 4 years, why is it in beta?

glaeven

Beta = Don't use it.

Beta = Don't let my staff use it at work.

teqz

Beta means: psst, buddy, wanna snort? first hit's free, man.

L0nerMan

it's not a matter of waiting till a product is ready to get it...we're getting the finished product now, but they tack that word onto it and it relieves them of accountability. it's just an excuse to not get blamed when something doesn't work. it's unfortunate that 'beta' has more recently become a 'positive' aspect of a product...at least that's the impression that i get (...mighty mighty bosstones...) when a product puts the word in a starburst next to the name. its usage has become very irresponsible, and the only way to not get mad about it is by ignoring it. if you think you're going to wait on a product to ditch the 'beta' part, you'll never use a new product again.

MobileMilitia

It's simple: they keep their products in beta because it prevents liability on their part if something goes wrong.

liku

For me a beta must be a feature complete version of the product released to the public in order to find unknown bugs and flaws. It seems like a lot of companies now use the term beta very freely and excessively

Barbas

I guess that we currently have: AMERICAN ECONOMY (Beta.01)

normanm4

Another thing similar to the persistent beta, that I get tired of seeing, is the recent trend of open source software using 0.x.x version numbers. And even though it reaches what they call a stable working version (multiple times), they never call it a 1.0 version. That's just annoying to me.

pixelstuff

Unlike the way Google uses it as a "not our fault if it breaks," beta in the rest of the world means that it has all the features, and all the bugs. In other words, the developer finished writing it, but it's only had cursory testing. Expect it to be broken or do horrible things to your data.

toaste

Tax dodge?

PlayerX

To me, beta has both a positive and a negative meaning. On the one hand it means something constantly evolving, which, as a philosophy is something that I like.

On the other hand it's as if they tell you that if something bad happens, it's not their fault (we warned you) or that, when the beta phase is over, things won't be the same as you knew (which is also not good since it brings insecurity).

I guess the positive or negative meaning depends on the application and on the company. E.g., I would easier adopt a beta product from Google, compared to Microsoft.

gsarig

Beta means "not production quality."

There are a multitude of factors that determines what's production quality: availability, reliability, features/functionality, customer support, to name a few.

Deprong Mori

I think the meaning of beta is different (or becoming so) for web apps. I do the same thing. I open up apps during development to get feedback that helps direct future development, as well as find problems. Developing a rich feature set is costly and doing it without community involvement is risky. What if you are spending half of your time on features that users don't want? Google may be carrying the technique to an extreme, but the concept is sound. It is one of the positive things about open source / free software development.

GasGiant

Free game, I must have it.

SoccerCore11

That makes no sense. Online services generally do not have public version numbers. And Google isn't releasing new features daily. Each service might get new features a couple of times a year.

Deprong Mori

I think that beta just means it's new, obviously, but it really doesn't make a difference if it is in beta. I like it though because more features will just come out. That's just how I look at it.

mmolo99

I kind of agree w/ jgeezy, but to me beta just means they can roll out new features daily w/o having to change version # all the time

JBu92

@joelena: Agreed 100%.

tonyshangrila

Beta means it's not finished. Google's online applications have a pattern of frequent and gradual change and expansion. Rather than declaring one release or another to be Gmail 2.0, they've declared that the live releases are subject to change without warning, are still in development, and are unfinished products.

Jezebeau

Beta used to mean we want you to test this and then give us your feedback. Now I feel like with many mainstream companies it means, we are almost done but want to gather usage statistics and error reports without having to help anyone out.

I still love betas because it is free products that I get to use, and I love getting stuff right away! Although I think I am going to stop doing ubuntu beta's just because there is not enough support out there yet and there are some fairly big bugs still running around.

Defcon1

I think of it as the testing release. They don't want to say it's a final product because they are still undergoing heavy testing and bug fixing. It may or may not be a stable release, though most commercial businesses tend to release fairly usable beta software to the general public.

Styyl

Beta means it's usably new, but not yet reliable enough to be sold without a disclaimer indicating its unreliability. For my purposes, this should include all post-1995 operating systems put out by Microsoft.

ebcindc

@jgeezy: Google specifically. I think it goes more along the lines of, "We're not done yet, but we'll get around to it, seeing as it's not done."

I feel extremely comfortable using Google's 'Beta' products, and have been for years.

.endejas.

For me it depends on the company. Nearly everything Google does has the Beta tag but usually runs well. Other companies are not as reliable. I think my comfort level depends on their reputation.

crichton007

To me, beta means working but not necessarily stable. (And alpha means not necessarily working and definitely not stable).

And a completed project should have as close to no bugs as possible.

InfectedWithDrew

Doesn't google keep stuff in Beta so they can change it and add stuff when they like rather than making a perfect product with nothing wrong?

That's what I read somewhere :P

LifesSweetDrug

@ThickSkinned: Flickr is way ahead of you.

[a248.e.akamai.net]

HolyChimp

"Beta" means a Microsoft product which has not yet reached "end-of-life." Or any other software publisher's product which is almost ready for publication, and is in final testing stages before final bug-fixes and release.

Deadhacker

I think that, especially with new web apps or startups, the term beta is being used to attract more users, mainly tech-savy ones. It adds a kind of exclusivity, which then equals more users, because I'm sure lots of people think about closed betas when they see the word beta, so then they really wanna be in on this new site, service, program or whatever.

tehdavid

I agree with a lot of the commenters above who say beta means "there are still bugs".

If Google's internal guidelines say that they must reach a milestone of less than, say, 0.00005% error rate per user session, or some similar metric, then the beta tag is still warranted until they meet that goal.

mtaylor924

There actually used to be an explanation of this in the form of a FAQ question at the Google site, back aound when Gmail first got started and was by invitation only; I can't seem to find it now.

In it, Google playfully stated that they liked to keep the Beta moniker for two reasons:

One is that it effectively keeps the vibe of ongoing development alive for both the developers and the users. And two, because software is just more "exciting" when it's in beta.

I'm going to keep looking for this and I'll post a link if I find it.

equazcion

@drsphincter: Or, put in another way:

Google Beta: Probably works, is probably pretty cool, but they want to tweak it more.

Microsoft Final Release Candidate: Ha, sucker, you just shelled out $100/$400/whatever to be our beta tester. Except we won't support the software, and won't do anything about the bugs. Sorry.

DangerousLiberal

'Beta' is just a buzzword, nothing more nothing less. It adds marketing pizazz to crappy products.

All Windows OS'es are still in *public* beta, why all the monthly patches? Some of these bugs should have been caught during 'beta' testing, oh, I forgot, we *are* the 'beta' testers.

robertrock

it seems that beta is just like it should be
some problems but it works
with the exception of google

eluvatar

"It had beta work or I'm gonna be teed off about it!" :p

I think most people understand and think of beta contextually. When it comes to Google, it means one thing, but if it was Pidgin or Digsby or Ubuntu or Photoshop then people would take it a different way.

Well, at least that's how I take the meaning of beta.

Nuclear Moose

Beta(to me) means in testing. Use if you wanna try it, if not leave it be. Safer than alpha, but still with some kinks. Sometimes people like kinky things >_>

Rika Aiuchi is SeXXXy

use our stuff early that we still doubt is complete.

xmido

It means cool new toys to play with! ;-)

Sean Robertson

Jon is right....
It's a fish!! ..haha..

Michaelwon

"beta" is a purely marketing term now that marketing people slap on any product to try and say "c00L D00d stuff from c00l 3ll333t company"

ajft

Beta to me means don't expect things to be perfect or project still under development.
I guess the goog is updating so quickly there is a good argument to be had that they are in constant beta.

rtipping

Beta is just another word for beautiful… ;D

Maya

@nlvivar:
That's the exact essence of what I was going to say that "beta software" was supposed to be. (Not just "beta" as the title of the article says, but "beta software"... not that I'm pedantic or anything.)

Software that undergoes feature addition (perhaps excepting very minor features) is not in a beta stage of development, it's in an alpha stage.

leftist

Beta is meaningless. If your product is new and sounds useful, I'll try it, beta or otherwise. If it is old and has good reviews and I'm unhappy with what I'm using, I'll try it, beta or otherwise.

Beta has about as much meaning as "new and improved", "grand opening" and "going out of business".

jupiterthunder

Beta usually means "big time sink."

It also often means "we're too cheap to hire a software QA team so thanks for volunteering."

Which translates to "P.T. Barnum was right."

cv

@Navin R Johnson: I second that, I dont really remember windows 3.1 being that bad though.

grandtheftcd

@tonyshangrila: I think google considers it a beta because it is not what they want it to be yet. Notice that for the last few months they have been releasing tons of new experimental features. Plus whats funny is that gmail supports a wide array of browsers, where as microsoft exchange web access only really supports IE

grandtheftcd

Beta for me, like other poster, means getting access to stuff (usually before the general public) for free. I love this and am willing to put up with the lack of features (or completely new editions) to have access to tools that benefit me.

BUT on another note, I still see a bunch of missing functionality using Gmail in Safari (the main one being the lack of contact auto completion when composing an email) and knowing Google, they will want all these types of "bugs" ironed out though that may never happen.

Jordan

To me, a "google beta" means something very different from a beta almost anywhere else. Generally, when I hear "beta", I assume that the product is almost entirely complete, but will have a few issues such as high memory usage, a few hangups, ect. I'm also not surprised when beta projects go through a major interface change before release. But when google says beta, to me it means "hey this thing is done, we're just going to call it a beta in case we decide to drastically change it or cancel it later". (R.I.P googlepages) Honestly I can't recall ever running across an unstable Google product. Come to think of it, though, I usually think of webapp betas as being a bit more stable than desktop betas, perhaps because webapps are usually being tested on the server side, and the issues don't usually come through to the user unless the site goes down or something.

akurei77

Beta use to mean to me that the application was still in a possible unstable state and I wouldn't use it for anything important. Betas also meant to me it was in the last stage of testing and so I was often patient enough to wait for the final version to come out.
However with something like Gmail, it seems pretty polished to be still considered in beta. There will always be extra features you could add to an application so I don't think it's correct to assign it beta status until it's perfect. You come out with version 1 which is stable and has the most important features you wanted, then release new versions of the software when you want to add things to it!

wongtam

To me it doesn't mean a whole lot. Just that I will give the developers a little more slack if there are some flaws, but it should function fairly well if its out of the alpha stage. In the end , however, it really has absolutely no effect on my decision to use it or not.

Y1n_X1

What is funny how the definition of "beta" has changed.
I remember seeing an ad for the launch of a website. In the final part of the ad the "beta" label flashes, similar to how a "new" label would flash!
Beta to me means continuous improvement. All the beta apps i use work perfectly fine for me.

georigin

I guess my question would have to be, is Google going to keep the "cloud" part of Android in Beta after release? If they do, will that leave them a way out if they lose/close somebody's account (as they have been known to do)? They can just blame it on being a beta product?

aztalon

Beta for s/w is very well understood, end user testing for bugs and the bug fixes till its stable enough for the final build. For web apps, Google are right in keeping their webapps like Gmail and Docs in beta, coz these have no limits for innovation. That's why Gmail keeps adding features like no other web-email.

vishr

There needs to be a kangaroo court which requires sites which misuse the word "beta" to replace the beta image with one of these "Web 1.0" style "beta" images.

So Gmail should look like this. ;-)

bjhanifin

What?

cv

Beta:

1) Feature complete, mostly stable. In need of a stress test but still has an unknown number of bugs and is in need of a shake out. Issued to a wider audience in order to confidence test before issuing release candidate.

2) Kicked out the door & used as a label to say "don't blame us for any bugs"

Spiny

Really, most of Google's "betas" are probably closer to release candidates (though in case of things like Gmail, I'd say it's far past time to make it an official release), but "release candidate" just doesn't have that "beta" pop. Can you imagine something like "Google Docs Release Candidate"? Blah.

I think startups all over abuse the "beta" designation a little to a lot, but overall, I like the idea of betas. In one sense, "beta" could be essentially replaced with "not everyone knows about this yet or uses this yet". Sites like MySpace, Facebook, etc suffer a little, at least in my eyes, for being universal. Exclusivity creates a tighter-knit community and a sense that you're breaking ground or charting new territory. There's a sense of adventure to it. Betas are fun. That's why people like them.

Also, oddly enough, the misuse of the term "beta" actually has the effect of raising the bar on the quality of web apps. When companies like Google are offering solid, stable, feature-rich "beta" products, you can't exactly release a rough draft app and call it a beta. People will try it, be disappointed that it doesn't meet their (perhaps skewed) view of what a "beta" should be, and round-file your site from their bookmarks and memory banks.

chrisdpratt

The open source community that supports Linux has been pulling this BS for a long time. A good example is Wine (the windows emulator that is totally an emulator which the developers claim is not an emulator). It was in "alpha" for over a decade.

It's a cover for poor quality control and weak development teams.

Real development shops deliver their products on deadlines and stand behind them when they go to production. The open source world is hesitant to do this, since they have trouble finding developers and have no idea what real QA is in so many cases.

In Google's case, it is probably just a legal disclaimer. Even they don't know what a beta is.

24fc

to me beta means it's been tested to a degree where it's relatively stable, and they now it needs more rigurous testing to find all the little annoying bugs that would pop up sooner or later. but thats because i've looked into the defination of alpha and beta testing, and now know about the different forms lol

Zepth

It means "no responsability" ;)

nublaii

... means that the company doesn't have enough money (or doesn't want to pay!) or ressources to test a product. That's why others have to do that for the company.

Also, it means:

* it's "cool" and a "must-have"
* can be stopped without notifiying the user

I can't help, but all (or most) the beta TOS say that the companies can cancel and remove user accounts without notifying users... to me it means to search for a "stable" alternative and/or to backup my data every 24hrs.

And most of the beta services don't have "real" support, so the company saves a lot of money. And the user... well s/he can't complain.. cuz its BETA ...

Marco

In Google's case, I always took it to be some strange idiosyncrasy. I hold the the common definition of beta, that the product is still in a usable but still developing phase with few if any new features added (most being either oversights or really good suggestions by users) and the rest as a result of fixing bugs.

I use gmail and Google Reader heavily, and Google can call them anything they like as long as these fine products stay around (hopefully for free).

emuelle1

Beta doesnt necessarily mean "new" to me - it means more along the lines of: I dont have to pay for it. I think the paradigm is: if this is an incomplete program - (and not open source), it will be free to the users as long as there are bugs. The users use the program (that might crash - or crash their system) free - in exchange for feedback that identifies the status of bugs (and the guidance as to whether the product is worth continuing to develop.. popularity counts...)
When the product comes out of Beta... if it is not open source - it "should" be a "for profit" product... So perhaps Google is leaving things in Beta - in order to fiscally justify not charging for them...

asl4u

In the context of Google, "beta" doesn't mean a thing anymore. I think it's more of a running joke by now.

But when it comes to other programs (and companies) "beta" is the version on which you can't blame its builder for possible crashes and other issues in stability.

So, yes, maybe Google doesn't want to leash its creativity to providing tech support for products that just work.

Lasse Rintakumpu

@nlvivar: I agree. I find it more and more annoying when beta code is released and the developer keeps adding/removing features. That should have been put to be in the alpha and beta should be as written here.

Taomyn

It's a term that's used to describe how far a product has moved along the development cycle. Technically, a Beta device or application isn't considered to be a mature product. A Beta device has been through internal company review and error testing, but it hasn't been thoroughly tested by people outside of the development team.

Beta products can be great, and you just get to play with something new, or if they development team wasn't the best, a Beta product can be a real pain in the ass

Synyster Vengeance

At my company, I don't release betas because I feel like it's dirty business. We do our duty to test the product, and then we release it. If something comes up after release, we fix it and provide an update...and we own up to the fact that we screwed up.

To me, "beta" is the used-car-salesman way to release products. Something is a little shady...

mbacon

Found the down side to being a beta tester just last night. Lost all our recorded programs, timers, history, schedule - everything on our PVR. *Poof* - it's gone. Whatever happened to QA before beta?

elsifer

@-=Ben=-: Beta is open, a closed beta is really just an alpha.

Phoshi

@elsifer:

Here's what I wrote earlier:

Beta means "not production quality."

There are a multitude of factors that determines what's production quality: availability, reliability, features/functionality, customer support, to name a few.

Sorry to hear about your misfortune and that you have to learn your lesson the hard way.

If you're really cynical, you'll say that beta also means "we're gonna pretend to our users that it is a privilege for them to QA our software for free."

Deprong Mori

@burnblue: Exactly. I have a feeling if the products came out of beta, they may not be free anymore.

whoisvaibhav

@.endejas.: When was the last time a Google product came out of beta? I am not sure, that is why I am asking.

whoisvaibhav

@grandtheftcd: It wasn't that great. 3.11 (the network version) rocked, though.

tgrantt

@Navin R Johnson: I would add MySQL to this list too. My company has an unwritten policy of staying one version behind MySQL's most recent release because their initial releases were so buggy.

I suppose the lesson is that 'beta' means different things on a per-product basis.

MattHall

@jgeezy: Totally agree.

To me it means I can use the software, but I shouldn't reply on it, as there may be bugs.

gliscameria

@Kuroyume: I agree

metalmarious

Beta should denote a product that is feature-complete and being released to beta testers who torture test it and respond with bug reports, which are soon read and acted upon by developers. When it's sufficiently bug-free, a beta is released as a finished product.
Sort of like the stuff in Google Labs, except testers and developers are openly communicating, it's actively being developed, and it's definitely going to be finalized.

I suggest "gamma" as a label for Google's products. It will mean:
We have commitment problems.
You don't know how buggy this software is.
It may never be "finished."
We don't really want to hear from you.
You're gonna use it anyway because we're Google.

P1h3r1e3d13

I was under the assumption that a product in beta phase was exempt from certain types of taxes as a business unit.

sharnaff

@grandtheftcd: Sure, gmail adds new features. But it would be more appropriate to consider those specific features as in beta. Gmail was released to the general public a long, long time ago. Calling gmail beta is empty rhetoric.

JamesIsIn

@whoisvaibhav: Yeah, I think we are in agreement here. What is required for gmail to leave beta? Clearly they are not using this term as it is traditionally used. Sounds like total BS to me. "Cover me arse!" Just talking out of the side of the mouth.

JamesIsIn

@P1h3r1e3d13:
Excellent!

Marco

I for one love to use beta software because I feel like I have access to stuff that the regulars don't & I love new gadgets & I cannot complain as far as I am concerned if something is wrong because they are offering me these packages free, so I am greatful & if I want to say anything that is not working on the beta, then I will offer that in the feedback area of there site. I have been happy with almost all googles apps except the google crome browser because to me it is just to buggy, It crashes on there own sites like youtube that uses shockwave player, infact the browser crashes using most sites using flash or shockwave player & plus no add-ons like firefox. Lobg live firefox forever & that is saying alot because I am a google junky well atleast for there other products, but there new nrowser sucks I am sorry.

ArmillaChelios

Google's use of "Beta" is misleading. Chrome really is a beta, clearly buggy and not production quality. Gmail is clearly NOT a beta. The label adds confusion as to what google products are production quality and which ones arn't. Its unprofessional, and misleading. In response to many comments about beta = excuse for not changing version numbers . Google search is not labelled beta and its constantly evolving without any version numbering.

HoseaCachebag

I actually think that Google is going for the Perpetual Beta thing [en.wikipedia.org]

inchenzo

Beta means: "We've worked hard on it - it should work, but may not - but here, play with the shiny!" Alpha means: "This probably won't work. Good luck!" RC means: "If it doesn't work, call us and bitch; there's no good reason for it not to."

ArdelisSable

True. If they weren't in beta, and they had a legal responsibility to guarantee the product, they'd be spending more time troubleshooting IE6 users and less time coming up with new features and technologies.

LianaSeagull

Beta? Well, I just published http://www.nSym.com and as long as I get e-mails about errors in the system, it's a beta! The longest BETA of all must be Gmail.

RoswellFeldman

It means nothing as everything is "beta". It's overused. "Beta" = "cool", nothing more. It gives no information on product. It just says "look! We made something that is sooooo Web-2.0-ish". As for me it's just stupid and meaningless.

SantawanaWren

Beta means never having to say you're sorry...

RebeccaApplesauce

Google + Beta = something fishy...

sinkingshriek

It is a new beauty I can enjoy when she is not so mature.

LeeHaermm

I always considered beta to be a word used to convey "we're pretty sure it works and such, but if it explodes, pees on you or kills your first-born son, we can't accept responsibility."

BurkeWachter

"Beta" means it passed internal testing and validation and is ready for community testing. However, as pointed out with the example of Google, "Beta" has become a fashion item. Almost every site is sporting a "beta" logo, totally destroying the meaning.

Every piece of software contains bugs, so in theory, all products remain "beta". They should drop the beta-concept all together or use it in an appropriate manner.

tmclssns

B - Better E - Edition T - To-be A - Arrival BETA!!!

RossMabawza

Although I could be labelled as an IT dinosaur because I assisted the birth of development methodologies and "life cycle" phases definitions. Since then "beta" meant the phase previos to release, where a group of betatesters tried to uncover bugs.

I think that this concept has evolved into what Google, as a very good example but not the only one, is doing. It seems, now, hat you can provide lesser quality software without the commitment required by "release" software.

If we accept (we are doing it, as a matter of fact) this change we'll finish accepting cars in "beta" or "beta" cheap airlines. Will we?

edrudis

Beta means developers can add, remove, and change features without people freaking out when such change occurred.

CarlLaius

Beta = bleeding edge

OthelloGebsite

I Think it is refreshing for company's to release beta programs that are very good but not quite good enough rather than provide Releases that have tons of bugs and gaping holes in there product aka Vista

GregoryLaenas

I hope Google is taking a different attitude in the Google Apps enterprise environment. It's one thing is you're a casual user - use at your own risk! But if you're really depending on the stuff, and/or if you're in a corporate environment, you need to assume that this stuff has been reasonably tested; otherwise you can't use it. I see no reason at all for the testing level of web apps to be any different than desktop apps.

QuillanRaccoon

Beta, to me, means the second phase of development (Alpha > Beta > Finished.)

Now, this being said, i don't really have a problem with Google labeling their products like this. Sure, it may be just to avoid responsibility on certain things, but the only thing that I could think of that it would hurt is the fact that it might be misleading to new users.

NotHellTempest

Beta, to me, means it is in the second phase of development (Alpha > Beta > Finished.)

I don't really have a problem with Google labeling their products this way, although it might be a bit misleading to new users.

NotHellTempest

Honestly, the beta tags on software no longer register to me. Two reasons for that: 1) It's been there in our favorite apps & services for so long. 2) Beta products are so well polished these days that the expected catastrophic crashes are no longer a certainty. The latest windows live wave 3 betas all perform well if not better than much of the current official releases. Gmail works well too.

MadelineIshaboo

Aren't all programs prepetually beta? I mean unless development has stopped or is dead, developers are constantly working on new features. Although often with standalone software many new features are rolled up into one new release instead of a patch here or update there.

For me I don't mind beta services, I like seeing and trying out new things. :)

Big Dan

For web 2.0, it means free until they have worked out the kinks and then they charge you for it.

karen427

I feel it means, ready for an early release, but not got all the bugs ironed out yet- and that's why we will be testing our software on you people with no consequence if it goes wrong!

falter

@ThickSkinned:
This is hardly a new definition. I've been seeing Gamma releases for over ten years, and occasionally even run across Deltas and Epsilons. At least once, I've noticed a Kappa.

(I've also seen Sigmas and Omegas, but those invariably have been post-releases.)

Sailorleo

The beta definition you gave was for software. Websites rarely seem to follow that tradition - Google is just one of many who release "beta" versions and keep them indefinitely. It seems to be a combination of "we're still adding really cool features so don't judge us based on this" and "if something goes seriously wrong, we warned you!"

UtaVinton

A Beta is a workproduct according to EssUP! Complete and Meaningful - www.usecase.com

QuadeHippolyta

Microsoft has embraced the new beta definition. Their Community Technology Previews (CTPs) are the old definition of beta. Their beta releases are fully expected to work and often include "go-live licenses" meaning you can use it for production quality releases. Rather than meaning "more bugs likely" their betas tend to cut features and do the features they do implement very well. Things like uninstallers and documentation are usually lacking as well.

EdaAeacus

"Beta" for Google means "20% project we've released for public use but haven't committed to full testing on because it's still receiving feature upgrades." Them doing Software-as-a-service, they do a lot of agile development and test-based design rather than monolithic releases, so alpha and beta don't mean much to them.

ShyamalikaDunlop

I agree with one other user here. Beta just means it is not production quality and/or the final product. Somewhere in Google there is still a "this is not quite finished" sentiment for Gmail. However, they feel they have attained production quality in Google Reader, so it doesn't contain the beta label.

PearlSmelt

Beta mean broken

XantheDawli

Alpha = new content being added, but testing is being done so that bugs are found early.

Beta = most of the features are implemented with the possibility of a few new things sneaking in, should be almost completely useable

RC = no more new features, should be pretty solid like gmail

v1,0!

That's how I view release cycles

antiism

To be fair, Google has a HUGE audience of users... so opening up "Betas" as early as possible allows them to leverage the input from as many people as possible, as early as possible. Lets them incorporate changes/new features testers suggest, which I think is a good thing. Is this wrong? Is it right? I think it just is. Besides, Google's not the only one who pushes the concept of "Beta" a bit far... one could argue that Microsoft launches commercial product that most other companies would consider Beta (or even Alpha)! At least Google isn't charging anyone for THEIR Betas! :D

MirabelleStitch

An official release is generally feature complete. Gmail Beta is 4 years old but they have only recently hit our accounts [www.lifehacker.com.au] with Gmail Labs features that may or may not be added in the general availability release. Knowing this, how can anyone justify Gmail as being ready to come out of beta?

I feel that Google is doing an excellent job with all of their betas. It fits their company ethic, which, I believe is to experiment, develop and give the users what they ultimately want. If this means using a beta product for a few years, so be it. Besides, these products are generally locked on the Internet. Why should they stomp on their own ethic for the sake of pleasing the high and mighty, when they can roll out experiments and fixes invisibly and please the masses?

[en.wikipedia.org]

aaronfraser

"Beta" doesn't mean anything anymore. It's now a marketing term that people associated with the newest and most exclusive. People will ignore flaws and will defend critics of a program by stating its a "beta". It's like the exclusive club on the outskirts of the industrial district that's really a pain to get to and isn't really that nice but all the people who want to have a public profile have their drivers find it and wait in line to get in for over priced drinks and flashing lights that cover up the unfinished walls and exposed beams on the ceiling...people want to feel like they are part of an exclusive group trying something new where something they say may make a difference...and marketers have figured that out. That is why Google is now going "beta" it creates more of a sense of community, minimizes the profile of flaws, and creates a devoted user base who actually have suggestions that make sense because they feel as though they are an integral part of the "beta" site.

VitasScaevola

It seems that "beta" is sometimes just a promotional tool when it comes to online games, at least later phases. I've seen "beta spots" used as prizes for sweepstakes and handed out at gaming conventions as swag.

scharfy

I really like the idea of open betas. It's much more fun to test stuff rather than read previews, even if it means living with unfinished products.

For Google, my thought is that it lets them modify their products how and when they want to. I don't think the definition of a beta is changing but rather that they're using the term more loosely.

artamir

An example of a recent beta release that should NOT have been released is Songbird. Songbird has alot of potential to be a great media player, but it is too riddled with bugs and complete overhauls every week that it is so far unusable.

aarduous

Well said.

SunandiniThersites

Really? Because I use FireFox to access my works exchange web access almost daily.

AnnunziataBabblebox