Well tbh I don't see how useful this poll can be :p Some people will be willing to test every bleeding new piece of code even if they don't need the new functionality that it offers, just the fact that it is still hot is enough and ready to face the potential problems (me for example), some will only use when the feature they want gets tested, and the majority will simply ignore every stuff marked "beta" (even tho they use same "beta" daily builds from the wowace repository for example, but nobody marked them as such :D )

Overall, beta versions are always good to transfer the most annoying part of the sw development - testing to the user. If there are big red letters of possible problems aimed to scare the people which are not ready to face them anyway, you will get less work and happy people that have new toy to play with.

DrunkenDonkey:

Well tbh I don't see how useful this poll can be

It gives us an idea of what people's priorities are with new versions.

1. I want it now and like testing stuff > You tested it for many hours and I just want it to work
2. Tested and stable > I want it now

These beta versions would be marked "BETA" and would not cause regular versions to show a new version available message.

Really we just want to know if enough people would be interested in downloading betas and testing them to make it worth the effort of uploading them.

 Absolutely

I bet it is hard to find time to answer forums + emails, write code to improve carbonite, plus play to find the glitch's. Count me in for beta help. Just got through with Adaware's beta,doing Bitdefender's Total Security 2009 beta now. I think I'm a beta  junkie, maybe my vote shouldnt count

Maybe a beta thread could be started to report bugs.

Count me in too ... I would be honored to help you test new features and stuff... 

txxnnok:

Maybe a beta thread could be started to report bugs.

Yep, that would be good to keep the bugs separate. 

Doomlord:

You can always use a bug tracker for that . Keeps things way more organized and is useful both for the developer and for the regular user who wants to see the updates.

I don't know if I would agree with that. The point of a beta forum is that the users can communicate with one another and test each others bugs. Some bugs might not be able to begenerated on some pc or os. We can communicate with one another and figure out if it is another add on or a true bug. Fataal can then moniter the posts and decide which bugs to pursue.

The bug tracker would just flood him with bugs and having to go over each one instead of leaving the grunt work the beta users. After an update is complete, he just puts it on a download page and maybe a post in the beta forum telling us theres a new one.

Bitdefender's beta is set up with a bug tracker. I've reported over 15 errors so far and only one was new as far that I know of. Its the only one I've got response from programmers about. They barely have a forum that you have to really look for, but the system isnt set up for the users to communicate, so they don't. Try to find their beta forum, you'll think geezus.

The adaware beta does it way I'm talking about, we communicate in the forum then report the bugs. You could just report it, but if you really are trying to help you go through the process of finding a cause for the bug or if the program needs to be rewritten. Thats just my opinion.

Doomlord:

You can always use a bug tracker for that . Keeps things way more organized and is useful both for the developer and for the regular user who wants to see the updates.

We would stick with a normal forum that everyone is used to. Nice and simple.

<offtopic>*cough* more simple than nice tbh - even basic stuff like autologin and mark forums read don't work, so most of the time I'm guest and when I log, there are "unread" topics everywhere since there is no way to mark them read without visiting every topic. Let aside the goodies like quickreply and stuff :p

Edit: found the mark as read thing, 1 section at a time inside advanced options. Well it is something ;)</offtopic>

 I'd love to help out!

I've been noting quest data bugs to file later. I will file them soon. 

So would be in for Beta testing on this mod.. Its one of the best mods i have came acrossed for the game.. With areas still to expand on or fine tune. Always up to giving in feed back, i know how big of a pain it is to program >< and go it should work.. why is it being stuipid to find that you left out the ;

No, I wouldnot use beta versions.

It's one thing with free addons, where the developers may not be full time, have limited resources for testing etc.

For a product that I pay for (I don't begrudge paying, btw) and where the "About US" section states that "This is our full-time job" the beta testing should be in-house.

Why I selected "No":

 I feel that if someone pays for software it should already be tested.  I have worked in the software industry for 25 years, beta tests always have some advantage or "carrot on a stick" to encourage the use.  The desire for being on the edge does not justify potential problems.