quote:
Originally posted by vincerooney
Whilst I feel your anger cookie i don't think illegal downloads of betas really push back testing.
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It doesn't slow down development whatsoever though.
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no it doesn't hold back the real release date.
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the development of the program i feel has no bearing on some people getting hold of the beta early.
Yes they certainly do!!
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As explained several times on various messenger related sites:
Because people use illegal beta's which were not meant to be used for the public, many things can and will happen:
- The company must release a version sooner then it was intended because many times beta's contain specific bugs which could be very harmfull for the average user who doesn't know what he/she is doing or who isn't aware of such bugs (because they are not part of the beta-testing team who knows about these things). Because of the early release other bugs hadn't the change of being solved. In the end people will end up with an incomplete not bug-free version.
Complaining starts, bugs are found (which wouldn't be there if the release was as scheduled), the good image of the developper is harmed, etc... etc...
- Those who think they are doing something good if they file a bug report actually slow down the bug testing. This is because the company is overwelmed with inproper bug reports or even reports about stuff which aren't bugs at all (more than half of the bug-reports aren't actually bugs!). And/or because the company needs to put extra people in charge of reading all those reports, people which otherwise would be developping or fixing the proper bugs.
- Those people who use illegal beta's and patches to make them work, harm the proper development of software, especially if this software depends on servers (as msn messenger does). In case of this new WLM, those illegal downgraders make that the beta-servers are overwelmed with stuff which they aren't designed for yet. This means server downtime or overload, thus stopping the official beta-testers from connecting to those servers to test.
Also, the protocol-testers have a hard time in actually determining if something is a bug or whatever in the new protocol, or if something is wrong because somebody is using the old protocol with such a protocol downgrader.
- You are harming the good-will of the company to release anything for the public. More leaking means that the company will be less and less happy with handing out beta-invites. In other words, you are making it harder and harder for others to join the official beta team. In other words, you're seriously being extremely selfish.
- etc... etc...
(and all that goes for EVERY company, not only MS)
PS: Leaking a closed private beta is even worse than using one!!!
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